UAP

abbreviation or noun

ˌyü-ˌā-ˈpē 

plural UAP or UAPs

: unidentified aerial phenomenon, unidentified anomalous phenomenon

—used especially as an alternative to UFO or unidentified flying object

… UFO has been replaced by UAP. Scientists and government officials are using the new acronym in an attempt to get away from the stigma and assumptions of little green men that persist when people think of UFOs. Until recently, UAP stood for "unidentified aerial phenomena," but last year's National Defense Authorization Act tweaked the term to stand for "unidentified anomalous phenomena," a broader catch-all category.

—Cameron Joseph

UAP—unidentified aerial (or anomalous) phenomenon—is apparently now preferred over UFO, or unidentified flying object. Assertions have been made that people associate "UFO" with alien visitors, whereas the new "UAP" terminology can be more readily associated with additional phenomena, perhaps swamp gas.

—Matthew J. Sharps

Since 2017, my life has been dominated by efforts to help Congress and the public discover the truth about unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), what many still refer to as UFOs.

—Christopher Mellon

Yet given the growing public clamor (and congressional clamor, for that matter) for information about UFOs, NASA felt compelled to provide the public with some answers. Consequently on Monday the federal agency launched a new study with 16 members for the purpose of determining the best way for NASA to further study what the scientists refer to as "UAPs" (unidentified aerial phenomena).

—salon.com

Examples of UAP in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The hearing will include discussion of what the Pentagon has – and may not have – disclosed about UAP and the Department of Defense's relativelt new All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO,) tasked with investigating sightings. —Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025

The release of the Yemen footage is expected to fuel debate over transparency in military UAP investigations and the potential implications for national security. —Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2025

The Defense Department’s All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office is leading the effort to collect and analyze UAP reports. —Phil Helsel, NBC news, 10 Sep. 2025

Hellfire missile bounces off mysterious orb in UAP footage 3. —FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1963, in the meaning defined above