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

Human infections occur when the virus enters the eyes, nose or mouth, or is inhaled through airborne droplets, aerosol particles or dust. —Marcus D. Smith, Sacramento Bee, 2 Jan. 2025

While the plane was airborne, Cooper put on a parachute, opened a door and jumped out of the plane never to be seen again. —Keith Langston, People.com, 28 Dec. 2024

And even though the helicopter is no longer airborne, its avionics battery sensors remain functional. —Julian Dossett, Space.com, 28 Dec. 2024

Government officials then cleared flights to get airborne about one hour later, according to the Associated Press. —Laura Daniella Sepulveda, The Arizona Republic, 24 Dec. 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