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

Its use was banned in many countries around the turn of the millennium amid concerns that the fibers, when airborne, could result in potentially fatal lung diseases if inhaled. —Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025

This means that underwater kites can be 1,000 times smaller than an airborne wing producing the same energy. —Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2025

Install a new ventilation system for use during operations that generate the most airborne dust. —Austin Hornbostel, Nashville Tennessean, 10 Oct. 2025

Once airborne, hydrogen leads to 35 times more climate warming than CO2, negating the purpose of blending. —U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Oct. 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