general aviation

noun

: the operation of civilian aircraft not under the control of a common carrier
also : such aircraft collectively

Examples of general aviation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Incidents and accidents happen more often in general aviation, largely because this category includes more aircraft. Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 29 Mar. 2025 Private and general aviation aircraft follow different, less strict FAA rules but are still inspected and maintained. Alexandra Skores, CNN, 19 Feb. 2025 View Comments Ginter said there are 205,000 general aviation airplanes in the country, and every pilot’s focus is on maintaining safety, and training is focused on that. Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 29 Mar. 2025 Ryan LaFontaine, a spokesperson with the Texas Department of Transportation, said general aviation traffic has increased across Texas in recent years. Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for general aviation

Word History

First Known Use

1952, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of general aviation was in 1952

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Cite this Entry

“General aviation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/general%20aviation. Accessed 28 Apr. 2025.

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