aircraft

aircraft — noun

1. a general word for any machine that travels through the air, including planes, h

1.nounB2
Definition

a general word for any machine that travels through the air, including planes, helicopters, gliders, and balloons.

Example

Three small aircraft were parked on the runway behind the control tower.

zero plural: three aircraft (not 'aircrafts')

The military aircraft circled above the harbor for nearly an hour.

common collocation: military / commercial aircraft

Common collocations
  • military aircraft
  • commercial aircraft
  • light aircraft
  • unmanned aircraft
  • the aircraft takes off / lands
  • board the aircraft
Synonyms
  • plane

    everyday word; usually means a fixed-wing airplane only, not helicopters

  • airplane

    American English; specifically a fixed-wing aircraft

  • aeroplane

    British English spelling of airplane; same meaning

  • flying machine

    old-fashioned or playful; covers anything that flies

Grammar Patterns

[number] + aircraft

by aircraft

Usage Note

Has an unusual zero plural: the singular and plural forms are identical. Say 'one aircraft' and 'five aircraft', never 'aircrafts'. Subject-verb agreement follows the intended number ('the aircraft is...' for one, 'the aircraft are...' for several).

Common Mistakes

Two aircrafts landed at the airport.
Two aircraft landed at the airport.
'aircraft' has the same form for singular and plural; no -s is added.
How many aircrafts does the airline own?
How many aircraft does the airline own?
use the bare form even after 'how many' or numbers.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words refer to flying vehicles, but they sit at different levels of generality. 'Aircraft' is the broadest, covering anything that flies — helicopters, gliders, balloons, and planes — and is the standard term in news, aviation, and military contexts. 'Plane' is the everyday word people use in conversation, but it usually means a fixed-wing airplane only; you would not call a helicopter a plane. 'Airplane' (American) and 'aeroplane' (British) are the formal versions of 'plane' and have the same narrower scope. 'Jet' is narrower still: a plane powered by jet engines, often used for fast passenger or military aircraft. So at the airport you might board a jet, which is one kind of plane, which is one kind of aircraft.

aircraft ↗plane ↗airplane ↗jet ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • aircraft carrier
  • aircraft engine
  • aircraft industry
  • aircraft hangar

Phrases

  • light aircraft
  • military aircraft
  • commercial aircraft
  • unmanned aircraft

Prepositions

  • on the aircraft
  • by aircraft
  • aboard the aircraft

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Formed in English in the late 19th century by joining 'air' and 'craft'. Here 'craft' carries its older sense of a vessel or vehicle — the same meaning seen in 'watercraft' and 'spacecraft'. The word was first used for hot-air balloons and airships, then extended to airplanes after the Wright brothers' first powered flight in 1903.