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

In these crashes, the reduced roadway visibility arose from conditions such as sun glare, fog, or airborne dust. —Umar Shakir, The Verge, 18 Oct. 2024

Once airborne the fully autonomous drone starts ticking off the myriad waypoints. —Sebastian Shukla, CNN, 16 Oct. 2024

That is because the new vaccines activate a branch of the immune system that has evolved for robust, rapid responses against airborne germs. —Stephani Sutherland, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2024

Buzz kill: Spiders ‘hear’ airborne prey via their legs Smithsonian Education. —Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 14 Oct. 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