aerial

1 of 2

adjective

ae·​ri·​al ˈer-ē-əl 

ā-ˈir-ē-əl

1

a

: of, relating to, or occurring in the air or atmosphere

the aerial acrobatics of circus performers

b

: existing or growing in the air rather than in the ground or in water

aerial plants

c(1)

: high in the air

aerial spires

(2)

: capable of being raised high in the air

The hydraulic aerial platform can accommodate up to five firefighters and even a wheelchair.

—Allan Stein

see also aerial ladder

d

: operating or operated overhead on elevated cables or rails

an aerial tram

2

: suggestive of air: such as

a

: lacking substance

aerial distinctions

b

: fanciful, ethereal

… visions of aerial joy …

—P. B. Shelley

3

a

: of or relating to aircraft

aerial navigation

aerial combat

b

: designed for use in, taken from, or operating from or against aircraft

aerial photographs/photography

c

: effected by means of aircraft

aerial transportation

a city subjected to aerial bombardment

aerial views

aerial spraying

4

American football : of, relating to, or gained by the forward pass

aerial touchdowns

a team known for its aerial attack

aerially

ˈer-ē-ə-lē 

ā-ˈir-ē-ə-lē

adverb

aerial

2 of 2

noun

aer·​i·​al ˈer-ē-əl 

1

: antenna sense 2

2

American football : forward pass

3

: an acrobatic maneuver performed (as by skiers and gymnasts) in the air

also, aerials plural : a ski event featuring such maneuvers

Did you know?

Shakespeare himself may have coined this word, in Othello, and later he gave the name Ariel to the famous air-spirit character in The Tempest. An aerialist is an acrobat who performs high above the audience. In painting, aerial perspective is the way an artist creates the illusion that a mountain or city is far away (something that early painters only slowly learned how to do), usually by making it slightly misty and bluish gray—as if seen through miles of air. An aerial work platform, or "cherry picker", supports a worker at a high elevation on the end of a crane. And aerial itself can be used as a noun, meaning a TV antenna, a forward pass in football, or a high-flying stunt performed by a skateboarder or snowboarder.

Examples of aerial in a Sentence

Adjective

the spectacular aerial acrobatics of the circus performers

Noun

She tried a new aerial in her last competition.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

At the other end, their attacking set pieces have improved as well — Milenkovic’s aerial presence and Elliot Anderson’s delivery have been useful additions. —Ahmed Walid, The Athletic, 19 Dec. 2024

Some American officials have even called for a state of emergency to be declared, with President-elect Donald Trump and other Republican lawmakers calling for the unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to be shot down. —Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024

Noun

At Paris’ iconic Place de la Concorde, 22 of the world’s best in street skating showcase their skills and tricks with grinds, slides, and aerials in front of the judges. —NBC News, 27 July 2024

Okoli scores a high percentage compared to other central defenders for tackles (70, with 81 in the middle portion of the pitch), clearances (80) and aerials won (64), but also progressive passes (58) were relatively high. —Rob Tanner, The Athletic, 9 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin āerius (borrowed from Greek āérios, derivative of āer-, aḗr air entry 1) + -al entry 1

Noun

derivative of aerial entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1545, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1902, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing aerial

• aerial ladder
• aerial perspective
• unidentified aerial phenomenon

Kids Definition

aerial

1 of 2 adjective

ae·​ri·​al ˈar-ē-əl 

ˈer-

1

a

: of, relating to, or occurring in the air or atmosphere

an aerial display on a trapeze

b

: living or growing in the air rather than on the ground or in water

c

: running on cables or rails that are raised above the ground

an aerial railway

2

a

: of or relating to aircraft

aerial navigation

b

: designed for use in, taken from, or operating from aircraft

aerial photograph

aerially

-ē-ə-lē

adverb

aerial

2 of 2 noun

1

: antenna sense 2

2

: forward pass