aerospace

aerospace — adjective

1. used to describe companies, jobs, or technology connected with designing, making

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

used to describe companies, jobs, or technology connected with designing, making, or flying aircraft and vehicles that travel beyond Earth.

Example

Boeing is one of the largest aerospace companies in the United States.

aerospace + company / industry noun

Noa studied aerospace engineering at a university in Toulouse.

collocation: aerospace engineering

Common collocations
  • aerospace engineering
  • aerospace industry
  • aerospace company
  • aerospace engineer
  • aerospace technology
  • aerospace manufacturer
Synonyms
  • aeronautical

    narrower — focuses on flight inside Earth's atmosphere, not space travel

  • astronautical

    narrower — focuses on travel and vehicles in outer space

Grammar Patterns

aerospace + noun

Usage Note

Attributive only — placed before a noun (aerospace company, aerospace engineer, aerospace industry). Avoid 'The company is aerospace'; instead say 'The company is in the aerospace industry'.

Common Mistakes

My uncle is aerospace.
My uncle works in aerospace.
the adjective must come before a noun, or use the noun form after 'in'.
an aerospatial company
an aerospace company
there is no separate adjective form; 'aerospace' itself acts as the adjective.

aerospace — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

These four words all relate to flight, but their scope differs. 'Aerospace' is the widest — it covers both aircraft inside Earth's atmosphere and vehicles that travel into outer space, so an 'aerospace engineer' may design either jets or rockets. 'Aeronautical' is narrower and refers only to flight within the atmosphere, so 'aeronautical engineering' usually means working on planes and helicopters. 'Astronautical' is the opposite half — it focuses only on space travel, rockets, and spacecraft. 'Aviation', mostly used as a noun, refers to the operation of aircraft for travel or military use, with little focus on rockets. For example, an airline pilot works in aviation, while a SpaceX engineer works in aerospace.

aerospace ↗aeronauticalastronauticalaviation ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • aerospace and defence
  • the aerospace industry
  • a career in aerospace

Prepositions

  • in aerospace
  • for aerospace

Etymology

GreekLatinEnglish

Formed in the mid-20th century by joining 'aero-' (a prefix from Greek meaning 'air') with 'space'. The word entered English around 1958, just as countries began launching the first satellites and people needed a single term to cover both flight inside the atmosphere and travel beyond it.