aviation

noun

avi·​a·​tion ˌā-vē-ˈā-shən 

ˌa-

often attributive

1

: the operation of aircraft

a pioneer in the early days of aviation

a career in aviation

sometimes, specifically : the operation of heavier-than-air aircraft

Fascinated from that moment on by aviation, [John] Montgomery pursued pioneering experiments in the design of a heavier-than-air glider …

—Kevin Starr

2

: military airplanes

carrier-based aviation

3

: airplane manufacture, development, and design

By that time, [Theodore P.] Wright already had established himself as a leading figure in American aviation.

—Michael Rothschild

Examples of aviation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

John Nance, an aviation analyst for ABC News, said the technology played a crucial role in saving the aircraft and the four people on board. —Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 12 Sep. 2025

Hand crews and aviation resources remain the primary suppression tools in steep, inaccessible terrain. —Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 12 Sep. 2025

Chinese aviation and defense stocks jumped earlier this year after Pakistan used the country’s J-10C jets to shoot down India’s planes. —Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 12 Sep. 2025

Bayoumi was a longtime accountant of the country's civil aviation agency who was in the United States in order to further his education, according to lawyers for the kingdom. —Michael Loria, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French, from Latin avis

First Known Use

1865, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing aviation

• general aviation

Rhymes for aviation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation

Kids Definition

aviation

noun

avi·​a·​tion ˌā-vē-ˈā-shən 

ˌav-ē-

: the operation of aircraft (as airplanes or helicopters) that are heavier than air