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

Imaging infrared provides enhanced target discrimination, and a semi-active laser enables the weapon to track an airborne laser designator or one on the ground. —Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 25 Sep. 2025

And there’s something that just hits harder watching people go airborne. —Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Sep. 2025

As whitewater rafting at New River Gorge winds down for the season, families can turn to airborne adventures such as zip line canopy tours or a bridge walk beneath the New River Gorge Bridge. —Dave Parfitt, USA Today, 23 Sep. 2025

Burks was halfway across Concordia Avenue when the witness heard a vehicle’s engine rev up and then saw a white sedan hit Burks, who went airborne. —Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 22 Sep. 2025

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