UAP

abbreviation or noun

ˌyü-ˌā-ˈpē 

plural UAP or UAPs

: unidentified aerial phenomenon, unidentified anomalous phenomenon

—used especially as an alternative to UFO or unidentified flying object

… UFO has been replaced by UAP. Scientists and government officials are using the new acronym in an attempt to get away from the stigma and assumptions of little green men that persist when people think of UFOs. Until recently, UAP stood for "unidentified aerial phenomena," but last year's National Defense Authorization Act tweaked the term to stand for "unidentified anomalous phenomena," a broader catch-all category.

—Cameron Joseph

UAP—unidentified aerial (or anomalous) phenomenon—is apparently now preferred over UFO, or unidentified flying object. Assertions have been made that people associate "UFO" with alien visitors, whereas the new "UAP" terminology can be more readily associated with additional phenomena, perhaps swamp gas.

—Matthew J. Sharps

Since 2017, my life has been dominated by efforts to help Congress and the public discover the truth about unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), what many still refer to as UFOs.

—Christopher Mellon

Yet given the growing public clamor (and congressional clamor, for that matter) for information about UFOs, NASA felt compelled to provide the public with some answers. Consequently on Monday the federal agency launched a new study with 16 members for the purpose of determining the best way for NASA to further study what the scientists refer to as "UAPs" (unidentified aerial phenomena).

—salon.com

Examples of UAP in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Everyone interviewed in the film has direct knowledge of UAP as a result of their work for the U.S. Government. —James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Jan. 2025

Despite being passed in the Senate, the act was ultimately blocked by special interest groups and concerns over public disclosure of the truth regarding UAP. —Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 22 Jan. 2025

But sightings like the gimbal are a lot harder to explain away—a point proven by another UAP incident known colloquially as the Tic Tac. —Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 22 Jan. 2025

Another bill, led by California Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia, would require the Federal Aviation Administration to establish reporting requirements for UAP incidents. —Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 14 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1963, in the meaning defined above