pilot

1 of 3

noun

pi·​lot ˈpī-lət How to pronounce pilot (audio)
1
a
: one employed to steer a ship : helmsman
b
: a person who is qualified and usually licensed to conduct a ship into and out of a port or in specified waters
c
: a person who flies or is qualified to fly an aircraft or spacecraft
2
3
4
: a piece that guides a tool or machine part
5
: a television show produced and filmed or taped as a sample of a proposed series
6
pilotless adjective

pilot

2 of 3

verb

piloted; piloting; pilots

transitive verb

1
: to act as a guide to : lead or conduct over a usually difficult course
2
a
: to set and conn the course of
pilot a ship
b
: to act as pilot of
pilot a plane

pilot

3 of 3

adjective

: serving as a guiding or tracing device, an activating or auxiliary unit, or a trial apparatus or operation
a pilot study
Choose the Right Synonym for pilot

guide, lead, steer, pilot, engineer mean to direct in a course or show the way to be followed.

guide implies intimate knowledge of the way and of all its difficulties and dangers.

guided the scouts through the cave

lead implies showing the way and often keeping those that follow under control and in order.

led his team to victory

steer implies an ability to keep to a course and stresses the capacity of maneuvering correctly.

steered the ship through a narrow channel

pilot suggests guidance over a dangerous or complicated course.

piloted the bill through the Senate

engineer implies finding ways to avoid or overcome difficulties in achieving an end or carrying out a plan.

engineered his son's election to the governorship

Examples of pilot in a Sentence

Noun the airline is seeking experienced pilots to fly the new airplane Verb He is learning how to pilot a helicopter. He skillfully piloted the ship into port during the storm. Adjective The group conducted a pilot program. a new pilot program to train inner-city residents for jobs in the tech sector
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Hundreds of people have put their names on lists to flee Port-au-Prince by air, several pilots told CNN last week, when seats on private flights had price tags as high as $10,000. CNN, 24 Mar. 2024 But if the Direct File pilot is successful, the IRS hopes to expand it, despite stiff opposition from commercial tax prep companies and their allies in Congress. Scott Horsley, NPR, 24 Mar. 2024 There are three classes of medical certificates issued by the FAA: first-class airline transfer pilot, second-class commercial pilot, and third-class private pilot. Harrison Pierce, Travel + Leisure, 23 Mar. 2024 Magic is officially in the making at Disney’s studios, as the entertainment company has announced its decision to move forward with Selena Gomez and David Henrie’s Wizards of Waverly Place reboot proposal two months after placing the initial pilot order. Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 22 Mar. 2024 The Recharge Room is in a six-month pilot program after which its impact will be evaluated and possibly made available to all Town of Gilbert employees in addition to first responders, Banger said. Georgann Yara, The Arizona Republic, 21 Mar. 2024 Within seconds, the seat-belt indicator dinged as the pilot asked flight attendants to return to their seats. Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 20 Mar. 2024 The Volkswagen Group—which includes Audi, Porsche and other brands—is recycling up to 3,600 batteries a year during a pilot phase at its new plant in Salzgitter, northern Germany. Sabrina Weiss, WIRED, 20 Mar. 2024 The pilot program will provide around $12 or $13 per day per family member, according to William Fowler, a spokesperson for New York Housing Preservation and Development, which administers the contract for the city. Nate Trela, USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2024
Verb
In Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back (1980), directed by Irvin Kershner, Culver’s character, as captain of the Imperial Star Destroyer Avenger, loses track of the Millennium Falcon piloted by Han Solo during a pursuit. Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2024 The commander cabin is shared with that of the airship, making the piloting experience practically seamless between the two craft. Tori Latham, Robb Report, 7 Mar. 2024 The drone in question is a DJI Matrice 30T, flown from a rooftop close to the center of Fremont and piloted by police officers and firefighters who have been trained how to operate it. IEEE Spectrum, 7 Mar. 2024 He is slated for another historic undertaking next year — piloting the Orion space capsule as part of NASA's Artemis II mission. Scott Neuman, NPR, 27 Feb. 2024 The Collier County Sheriff’s Office identified Edward Daniel Murphy, a 50-year-old pilot and co-pilot Ian Frederick Hofmann, 65, as the deceased. Sara Cline, Twin Cities, 10 Feb. 2024 An October 2023 Gartner, Inc. survey found that 55% of corporations were piloting or releasing LLM projects, and that number is expected to increase rapidly. Jeff Catlin, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 During the race, driver Romain Dumas managed to pilot the SuperVan 4.2 around the 3.85-mile circuit in just 1:56.32 minutes, reaching speeds of more than 186 mph on the Mountain and Conrad straights. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 26 Feb. 2024 Alternatively, anyone with over 1,000 hours piloting a plane will be considered. Greg Wehner, Fox News, 20 Feb. 2024
Adjective
The pilot episode of Hazbin Hotel was released in 2019 on YouTube, but the first season premiered on Jan. 18 on Amazon Prime. Xander Zellner, Billboard, 31 Jan. 2024 During raids, American crews of ten—including a pilot, co-pilot, navigator, radio operator, bombardier and gunners—engaged in daylight precision bombing, focusing on strategic targets like German aircraft factories, ball-bearing plants and U-boat pens. Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Jan. 2024 The helicopters typically have a crew of two: a pilot and a co-pilot gunner, according to the U.S. Army. Christine Fernando, USA TODAY, 28 Apr. 2023 Both Macdonald and Hsu were eyed for the pilot role that went to Polanco, but they were cast in later episodes. Jackie Strause, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 June 2023 In a YouTube reaction video to the pilot episode of Sister Wives, the 21-year-old reality star called out the role her dad played in their family in response to Kody's now-ex Meri Brown discussing the advantages of a ​​polygamous lifestyle. Stephanie Wenger, Peoplemag, 1 May 2023 Each serving has 35% protein to keep your canine co-pilot active and robust. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 23 Oct. 2022 This is the minimalist path Google, with its experimental store in New York, Amazon and its pilot retail outlets, and now Meta are attempting to replicate. Adario Strange, Quartz, 26 Apr. 2022 Carly helps a perfectionist chef with stage fright reopen his family’s diner, all for the pilot episode of her television show. Carrie Wittmer, Vulture, 25 Dec. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pilot.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle French pilote, from Italian pilota, alteration of pedota, from Middle Greek *pēdōtēs, from Greek pēda steering oars, plural of pēdon oar; probably akin to Greek pod-, pous foot — more at foot

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1649, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1915, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pilot was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near pilot

Cite this Entry

“Pilot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pilot. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

pilot

1 of 3 noun
pi·​lot ˈpī-lət How to pronounce pilot (audio)
1
a
: a person who steers a ship
b
: a person qualified to guide a ship into and out of a port or in specified waters
2
: someone who provides guidance and direction : leader
3
: one who flies or is qualified to fly an aircraft or spacecraft
4
pilotless adjective

pilot

2 of 3 verb
: to act as pilot of : guide

pilot

3 of 3 adjective
: serving as a guiding or tracing device, as an activating or auxiliary unit, or to test a new invention or idea
a pilot study

More from Merriam-Webster on pilot

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