✨📕 The NEWThe NEW Collegiate Dictionary, 12th Edition Over 5,000 words added — Buy Now! Collegiate DictionaryBuy Now!

warplane

noun

war·​plane ˈwȯr-ˌplān How to pronounce warplane (audio)
: a military airplane
specifically : one armed for combat

Examples of warplane in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The seven warplanes seen here account for about 20% of Venezuela’s combat aircraft, according to data published by CSIS. Avery Schmitz, CNN Money, 27 Nov. 2025 In recent years, China has deployed warplanes, ships and drones toward the island on a daily basis in military exercises as part of its efforts to exert pressure. Taijing Wu and Huizhong Wu The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 27 Nov. 2025 The sounds of warplanes, drones and distant explosions haunt the characters and shatter any fleeting moments of innocence and joy. Martin Dale, Variety, 22 Nov. 2025 And the New York Times reported last week that a Pentagon intelligence report raised concerns China could acquire the warplanes’ technology if the sales go through. Laura Kelly, The Hill, 17 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for warplane

Word History

First Known Use

1910, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of warplane was in 1910

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Warplane.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/warplane. Accessed 2 Dec. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on warplane

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!