subsonic

adjective

sub·​son·​ic ˌsəb-ˈsä-nik How to pronounce subsonic (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or being a speed less than that of sound in air
2
: moving, capable of moving, or utilizing air currents moving at a subsonic speed
3
subsonically adverb

Examples of subsonic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Today’s regulations against sonic booms would mean subsonic Overture flights over most major land masses, throttling up only over ocean transits. Tim Stevens, The Verge, 22 Mar. 2024 While Russian air defenses struggled to shoot down supersonic HIMARS rockets, Storm Shadow is a subsonic cruise missile—a class of weapon that Ukraine’s own air defense system has become efficient at shooting down. Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 12 May 2023 The house was littered with casings from subsonic ammunition of the same brand recovered from the motel room, Avila said. Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2023 The company's design consists of an airborne reusable hypersonic vehicle and a subsonic carrier aircraft. Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 6 Oct. 2023 Scholl said Overture’s gull wings will be shaped for both supersonic and subsonic flight modes. Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 26 June 2023 Roadrunner is a modular, twin-jet aircraft roughly the size of a patio heater that can operate at high (subsonic) speeds, can take off and land vertically, and can return to base if it isn’t needed, according to Anduril. Will Knight, WIRED, 1 Dec. 2023 Boom predicts that the Overture will be able to serve more than 600 routes around the world in about half the time of subsonic commercial jets. Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 27 Nov. 2023 And, Boom Supersonic will invest more than $500 million through 2030 in sustainable aviation, creating 2,400 jobs at an average pay of $68,000 annually — planes that fly at subsonic speeds over land and near coasts. Ken Silverstein, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'subsonic.' 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

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1920, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of subsonic was in 1920

Dictionary Entries Near subsonic

Cite this Entry

“Subsonic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subsonic. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

subsonic

adjective
sub·​son·​ic ˌsəb-ˈsän-ik How to pronounce subsonic (audio)
ˈsəb-
1
: of, relating to, or being a speed less than that of sound in air
2
: moving, capable of moving, or using air currents moving at a subsonic speed
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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