aircraft

noun

air·​craft ˈer-ˌkraft 

plural aircraft

often attributive

: a vehicle (such as an airplane or balloon) for traveling through the air

Examples of aircraft in a Sentence

a company that manufactures aircraft

Recent Examples on the Web

From the Dallas Stadium, an unauthorized aircraft cannot come within three nautical miles or fly 3,000 feet ground-to-air. — Marvin Hurst, CBS News, 26 June 2026

Ahead of the games, athlete delegations are surveyed about their interest in participating, and they’re then assigned to available seats once aircraft volunteer rosters are finalized, according to Textron Aviation. — Zach Wichter, USA Today, 25 June 2026

Additionally, 42 aircraft were lost or damaged, and 20 military installations were hit, leading to $29 billion in repair costs and an $80 billion supplement request. — Frank Holmes, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026

The vessel can carry either two six-ton helicopters or a single 11-ton aircraft, and can also carry two large unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). — Abhishek Bhardwaj, Interesting Engineering, 25 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1845, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing aircraft

• aircraft carrier
• rotary-wing aircraft

Rhymes for aircraft

• abaft
• camshaft
• crankshaft
• downdraft
• engraft
• priestcraft
• redraft
• schoolcraft
• spacecraft
• stagecraft
• statecraft
• updraft

Kids Definition

aircraft

noun

air·​craft ˈa(ə)r-ˌkraft 

ˈe(ə)r-

plural aircraft

: a machine (as an airplane, glider, or helicopter) that can travel through the air and that is supported either by its own buoyancy or by the action of the air against its surfaces