aviator
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
- aviatrix noun
Etymology
Origin of aviator
1885–90; < French aviateur. See aviation ( def. ), -eur ( def. )
Explanation
An aviator is a pilot. Every aircraft you see in the sky has an aviator in it. Aviation is the science that makes airplanes and other vehicles that fly through the air. An aviator is someone who flies one of those vehicles. This is kind of an old-fashioned word: these days, you're much more likely to hear aviators referred to as pilots. Some aviators work for airlines, while others own private planes. Helicopters and blimps have aviators too.
Vocabulary lists containing aviator
July Words
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A Farewell To Arms
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They Both Die at the End
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"This was... a race against the clock, as it was critical that we locate the downed aviator as quickly as possible, while at the same time keeping our enemies misdirected," Ratcliffe told the news conference.
From Barron's • Apr. 6, 2026
He added that that U.S. used subterfuge to mislead the Iranians who were searching for the downed aviator.
From Barron's • Apr. 6, 2026
U.S. commandos rescued an aviator early Sunday, 200 miles deep inside Iran, after his F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down Friday.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026
For nearly two days, injured and alone, a U.S. aviator hid in a remote mountain crevice as Iranian forces and militias closed in on him with helicopters and drones.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026
Our teacher fumbled urgently with the neck fasteners on his aviator helmet.
From "100 Sideways Miles" by Andrew Smith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
