airman

noun

air·​man ˈer-mən 

plural airmen

1

: a civilian or military pilot, aviator, or aviation technician

2

: an enlisted person in the air force: such as

a

: an enlisted person of one of the four ranks below sergeant

b

: an enlisted person ranking above an airman basic and below an airman first class

Synonyms

• aviator
• birdman
• flier
• flyer
• pilot

Examples of airman in a Sentence

her father was an airman who was shot down in Vietnam

Recent Examples on the Web

This had previously been confirmed by another National Guard official, state public affairs officer Major Ryan Finnegan, who gave some additional insight into the allegations and seemed to imply that the airmen had landed on the private ranch to pick up sheds. —Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 14 May 2025

The two airman inside the jet were said to have escaped safely. —Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 29 Apr. 2025

The two surviving airmen were captured by Japanese forces. —Kerry Breen, CBS News, 25 Apr. 2025

An official released photo shows U.S. airmen conducting convoy operations with missiles on April 11 during the drill. —Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing airman

• airman basic
• airman first class
• senior airman

Rhymes for airman

• chairman
• chairmen
• lehrman
• cochairman

Kids Definition

airman

noun

air·​man -mən 

1

: pilot entry 1 sense 3, aviator

2

a

: an enlisted person in the air force

b

: an enlisted person in the air force with a rank below that of sergeant

especially : one with the rank just below that of airman first class