airborne

adjective

air·​borne ˈer-ˌbȯrn 

1

: done or being in the air : being off the ground: such as

a

: carried through the air (as by an aircraft)

b

: supported especially by aerodynamic forces or propelled through the air by force

a plane becoming airborne

c

: transported or carried by the air

airborne allergens

2

: trained for deployment by air and especially by parachute

airborne troops

Examples of airborne in a Sentence

Once the plane was airborne I loosened my seat belt.

Thousands of airborne troops parachuted behind enemy lines.

Recent Examples on the Web

Measles is a highly contagious airborne disease that causes fever, respiratory symptoms and a characteristic rash. — Julhas Alam, Arkansas Online, 10 Sep. 2026

At that moment, pilots in airborne fighter jets radioed controllers to ask for the location of the hijacked aircraft. — Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2026

The newspaper offered a $5 prize in a contest to name the airborne deportations. — Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Researchers will deploy ground sensors and airborne microphones to measure the aircraft’s shockwaves. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 8 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1637, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for airborne

• adorn
• blackthorn
• broomcorn
• buckhorn
• buckthorn
• careworn
• firstborn
• foodborne
• forborne
• forewarn
• forlorn
• forsworn

Kids Definition

airborne

adjective

air·​borne ˈa(ə)r-ˌbōrn 

-ˌbȯrn, 

ˈe(ə)r-

: supported or transported by air

airborne troops

Medical Definition

airborne

adjective

air·​borne -ˌbōrn 

: carried or transported by the air

airborne allergens

airborne bacteria