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

The remains of a World War II airman were identified 80 years after his plane was shot down during a bombing mission in Germany, military officials said this week. —Kerry Breen, CBS News, 29 Nov. 2024

McDevitt joined the Army in 1917 to be an airman, but was commissioned a first lieutenant in the 11th Balloon Company. —Jeff Suess, The Enquirer, 27 Oct. 2024

After an airman asked Kurilla to take his seat and buckle up for his safety, the general allegedly lashed out, pushing the airman aside. —Courtney Kube, NBC News, 31 Oct. 2024

Zach: On September 11th, 2004, Brian Kolfage was an airman serving near Baghdad when a rocket landed three feet from him. —Outside Online, 16 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing airman

• airman basic
• airman first class
• senior airman

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