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

However, the ship will still operate as part of a larger task force, supported by frigates, submarines, and airborne early warning aircraft. —Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 19 Mar. 2026

The air was filled with sulfur oxides, heavy metal dust and airborne particulates. —Ella Whitman, The Conversation, 19 Mar. 2026

Once airborne, slide your pointer finger toward the front of the board to level it out. —Bestreviews, Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2026

Too little, however, can cause otherwise harmless particles to dry out and become airborne irritants. —Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 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