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

Exactly how Microraptor flew isn’t entirely clear, but the non-avian dinosaur represents a different pathway for getting into the air and indicates that more than one feathery dinosaur lineage evolved to become airborne. —Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Sep. 2024

However, its use in mattresses has raised safety concerns about the risks of airborne exposure to the glass fibers. —Anna Giorgi, Verywell Health, 3 Sep. 2024

The filtration helps capture up to 99.97% of the following microscopic airborne allergens and particles: Dust, pollen, pet dander, dust mite debris, and smoke. —Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 20 Sep. 2024

The goggles, based on virtual reality headsets with which Anduril’s founder Palmer Luckey is inherently familiar, are intended to give soldiers everything from night-vision capability to warnings of incoming airborne threats. —Bloomberg, Orange County Register, 19 Sep. 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