airman

IPA/ˈeəmən/
KK[ˈɛrmən]IPA/ˈermən/

airman — noun

  • airmansingular
  • airmenplural

1. a person serving in an air force at one of the lower ranks, below officer level

1.nounB2
Definition

a person serving in an air force at one of the lower ranks, below officer level

Example

Sana trained at Lackland Air Force Base before becoming an airman.

used for a newly qualified enlisted member

Airman Tamás repaired engine parts in a hangar outside Tokyo.

title + surname form of address

Common collocations
  • senior airman
  • airman first class
  • airman basic
Synonyms
  • service member

    a broader term for anyone in the armed forces, regardless of branch or rank

  • enlisted member

    covers non-officer ranks across all military branches, not just the air force

Antonyms
  • officer

    a higher-ranking member of the military who holds a commission

Usage Note

Used primarily for enlisted members of the British RAF and the US Air Force. Not applied to officers or to members of other military branches such as the army or navy.

Common Mistakes

He is an airman in the navy.
He is a sailor in the navy.
'airman' refers only to air force personnel; each military branch has its own term for low-ranking members.

2. a person trained to fly or control an aircraft, such as a pilot or flight engine

2.nounB2
Definition

a person trained to fly or control an aircraft, such as a pilot or flight engineer

Example

Noa earned her licence and now flies cargo planes as an airman.

civilian pilot usage

The airman guided the small plane safely through a heavy thunderstorm.

Common collocations
  • commercial airman
  • licensed airman
  • trained airman
Synonyms
  • pilot

    the standard modern term for someone who flies an aircraft

  • aviator

    close in meaning but more formal or old-fashioned, like 'airman'

  • flyer

    informal term for someone who pilots aircraft

Usage Note

A somewhat old-fashioned term for anyone who flies aircraft; 'pilot' is far more common in everyday modern English. 'Airman' in this sense appears more often in historical or formal contexts.

Common Mistakes

She is an airman for Delta Airlines.
She is a pilot for Delta Airlines.
'pilot' is the standard modern term for commercial airline roles; 'airman' sounds dated in this context.

Word family

  • airwoman
    nounB2
  • airmanship
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Airman, soldier, sailor, and marine all refer to low-ranking members of different military branches. An airman serves in an air force (specifically the RAF or USAF), a soldier serves in the army, a sailor serves in the navy, and a marine serves in a marine corps. The terms are not interchangeable — you would not call a soldier an airman, just as you would not call an airman a sailor. Each term carries the identity and traditions of its branch. For example: 'The airman inspected the fighter jet before take-off,' versus 'The soldier cleaned his rifle in the barracks.' Choosing the right word signals which branch of the armed forces you are talking about.

soldier ↗sailor ↗marine ↗

Etymology

English

Formed from 'air' and 'man', the word emerged in the early twentieth century alongside the rise of military aviation. It originally described anyone who flew or worked with aircraft. When the Royal Air Force and later the United States Air Force were established as separate military branches, 'airman' was adopted as the official term for enlisted personnel holding the lowest ranks. The civilian sense — simply meaning a pilot or aviator — has since faded from everyday use, though it survives in historical writing and formal contexts.

First known use

1873

1873, in the meaning defined at sense 1