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

Still, research indicates that changes in at least one viral isolate taken from a dairy worker in Texas had acquired mutational changes that allowed for airborne transmission between mammals, and was 100% lethal in laboratory ferrets. —Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024

Malaria’s mode of transmission, through mosquito bites, limits its ability to spread rapidly and widely compared to airborne viruses. —Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024

Infection occurs through inhalation of airborne spores from disturbed contaminated soil—the fungus is not transmitted person-to-person. —Tim Ryan, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024

The Army dropped the five mile run from airborne school in 2018, according to Task & Purpose, a news website which covers the U.S. military and veteran community. —James Laporta, CBS News, 13 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1637, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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