SKIP TO CONTENT

airborne

/ˌɛərˈbɔrn/
/ˈɛbɔn/
IPA guide

Something that's airborne is flying through the air. A soaring seagull is airborne, and so is a rock launched from a slingshot.

If you've ever tried parachuting from an airplane, you've been airborne, sailing through the sky, and when the plane itself takes off from the runway, it becomes airborne. On a windy day at the beach, people's umbrellas and towels sometimes become airborne. Bourne here is the past tense of bear, or "carry," so when something is airborne, it's carried by the air.

Definitions of airborne
  1. adjective
    moved or conveyed by or through air
    synonyms:
    mobile
    moving or capable of moving readily (especially from place to place)
Cite this entry
Style:
MLA
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago

Copy citation
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘airborne'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
Word Family