copilot

noun

co·​pi·​lot ˈkō-ˌpī-lət 

: a qualified pilot who assists or relieves the pilot but is not in command

Examples of copilot in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The attack nearly brought down the aircraft carrying 182 people before passengers helped subdue the copilot, who had reportedly been barred from flying in Oman over extremist views. — Melanie Lidman, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026

After a passenger grabbed the copilot and pulled him out, and others grappled with the man to subdue him, Schlichter said that one of the traveling pilots practically hurtled the scrum to enter the cockpit and seize the controls. — ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026

After an Omani national copilot — who has since been identified as 29-year-old Hamam al-Hammami — allegedly stabbed FlyDubai flight 1073’s pilot Capt. — Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026

The handful of Israeli passengers grappled with the copilot for several minutes before subduing him and binding his hands with the cord from a set of headphones. — Arkansas Online, 2 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1927, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

copilot

noun

co·​pi·​lot ˈkō-ˌpī-lət 

: a pilot who assists the pilot or commander of a flight of an aircraft or spacecraft