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
Bird flu, a highly contagious airborne respiratory virus, affects poultry — including chickens, ducks and turkeys — and some wild bird species, including geese and shorebirds, the department said.
—
Laura Fay, CBS News, 11 Jan. 2026
As part of the nuclear command, control, and communications (NC3) network, this aircraft serves as an airborne relay between national leadership—including the President and Secretary of Defense—and strategic forces such as ballistic missile submarines.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 10 Jan. 2026
But take precautions while enjoying the cooler weather this weekend as cedar pollen will be plentiful, thanks to the passage of the cold front and breezy winds to spread the airborne allergens.
—Mary Wasson, Austin American Statesman, 10 Jan. 2026
The plane is equipped to serve as an airborne operations center for the president, the Defense secretary and the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the event of a disaster that wipes out command centers on land.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Airborne.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/airborne. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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
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