UFO

noun

ˌyü-(ˌ)ef-ˈō How to pronounce UFO (audio)
ˈyü-(ˌ)fō
plural UFO's or UFOs ˌyü-(ˌ)ef-ˈōz How to pronounce UFO (audio)
ˈyü-(ˌ)fōz
: a mysterious flying object in the sky that is sometimes assumed to be a spaceship from another planet : unidentified flying object
"All right." The President sighed. "Is there anybody around this table who thinks UFOs and this signal from Vega have anything to do with each other?"Carl Sagan
In 1966, the first UFO "abduction" was described in journalist John G. Fuller's book The Interrupted Journey.Keay Davidson

called also UAP, unidentified aerial phenomenon, unidentified anomalous phenomenon

Examples of UFO in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The promotion for Eternal Atake 2 once again sees Lil Uzi Vert leaning into Heaven’s Gate’s underlying beliefs of ufology and prophecy fulfillment, with the album trailer featuring the rapper being transported via UFO to another dimension. Tyler Jenke, Billboard, 1 Nov. 2024 Trump’s episode currently ranks as Rogan’s third most popular on YouTube behind an episode interviewing UFO researchers Bob Lazar and Jeremy Corbell (61 million) and another with surveillance whistleblower Edward Snowden (38 million). James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Oct. 2024 While the West and Southwest are hotbeds of strange activity, the Midwest has some of the fewest reports per capita, Alejandro Rojas, a UFO researcher, tells Axios. Linh Ta, Axios, 25 Oct. 2024 In this model, the metal base smoothly tapers into a glowing glass orb not entirely unlike a UFO. Nora Taylor, Architectural Digest, 25 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for UFO 

Word History

Etymology

unidentified flying object

First Known Use

1953, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of UFO was in 1953

Dictionary Entries Near UFO

Cite this Entry

“UFO.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/UFO. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

plural UFO's or UFOs -ˈōz How to pronounce UFO (audio)
: an unidentified flying object
especially : flying saucer

More from Merriam-Webster on UFO

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!