UFO

[ yoo-ef-ohor, sometimes, yoo-foh ]

abbreviation for

, plural UFO's, UFOs.

1. unidentified flying object: any unexplained moving object observed in the sky, especially one assumed by some observers to be of extraterrestrial origin. Compare UAP ( def ), flying saucer ( def ).

UFO

/ ˈjuːfəʊ /

abbreviation for

1. unidentified flying object

UFO

¹

1. The abbreviation for u nidentified f lying o bject. Sometimes referred to colloquially as “flying saucers.” Most UFO sightings have prosaic explanations; there is no hard evidence that extraterrestrial beings are visiting Earth .

UFO

²

1. An abbreviation for “ U nidentified F lying O bject.” Often described as “flying saucers,” some UFOs are believed to come from other planets or galaxies and thus support the idea that human beings are not the only form of intelligent life in the universe. Few scientists agree.

Usage Note

See UAP.

Word History and Origins

Origin of UFO¹

First recorded 1950–55

Example Sentences

"John Ratcliffe was just on Fox News talking about UFO Disclosure," writes one person in a post to X, sharing a clip from 2021.

From Salon

Along the highway east of town, you will probably encounter Coyote, a 67-year-old junkyard proprietor with a booming baritone voice and a truck that says “UFO retrieval and repairs.”

From Los Angeles Times

In the past he has spoken with Salon about everything from debunking UFO hoaxes to understanding Dyson spheres.

From Salon

That applied not only to pilots’ reports of objects that seemed to have displayed unusual aeronautical behavior, but a farrago of reports in the press, online, and among committed UFO believers about purportedly secret government programs to collect, examine and even attempt to reverse-engineer technology supposedly retrieved from crashed extraterrestrial UAPs.

From Los Angeles Times

The researchers began by asking Americans to rate the degree to which they subscribed to 15 common conspiracy theories, including that the virus responsible for COVID-19 was created by the Chinese government and that the U.S. military has been hiding evidence of a UFO landing in Roswell, N.M.

From Los Angeles Times