aerial

1 of 2

adjective

ae·​ri·​al ˈer-ē-əl How to pronounce aerial (audio)
ā-ˈir-ē-əl
1
a
: of, relating to, or occurring in the air or atmosphere
the aerial acrobatics of circus performers
b
: existing or growing in the air rather than in the ground or in water
aerial plants
c(1)
: high in the air
aerial spires
(2)
: capable of being raised high in the air
The hydraulic aerial platform can accommodate up to five firefighters and even a wheelchair.Allan Stein
see also aerial ladder
d
: operating or operated overhead on elevated cables or rails
an aerial tram
2
: suggestive of air: such as
a
: lacking substance
aerial distinctions
b
: fanciful, ethereal
… visions of aerial joy …P. B. Shelley
3
a
: of or relating to aircraft
aerial navigation
aerial combat
b
: designed for use in, taken from, or operating from or against aircraft
aerial photographs/photography
c
: effected by means of aircraft
aerial transportation
a city subjected to aerial bombardment
aerial views
aerial spraying
4
American football : of, relating to, or gained by the forward pass
aerial touchdowns
a team known for its aerial attack
aerially
ˈer-ē-ə-lē How to pronounce aerial (audio)
ā-ˈir-ē-ə-lē
adverb

aerial

2 of 2

noun

aer·​i·​al ˈer-ē-əl How to pronounce aerial (audio)
1
2
American football : forward pass
3
: an acrobatic maneuver performed (as by skiers and gymnasts) in the air
also, aerials plural : a ski event featuring such maneuvers

Did you know?

Shakespeare himself may have coined this word, in Othello, and later he gave the name Ariel to the famous air-spirit character in The Tempest. An aerialist is an acrobat who performs high above the audience. In painting, aerial perspective is the way an artist creates the illusion that a mountain or city is far away (something that early painters only slowly learned how to do), usually by making it slightly misty and bluish gray—as if seen through miles of air. An aerial work platform, or "cherry picker", supports a worker at a high elevation on the end of a crane. And aerial itself can be used as a noun, meaning a TV antenna, a forward pass in football, or a high-flying stunt performed by a skateboarder or snowboarder.

Examples of aerial in a Sentence

Adjective the spectacular aerial acrobatics of the circus performers Noun She tried a new aerial in her last competition.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Related article French government orders laser weapon prototype for Paris Olympics The British are not the first in developing a laser that can shoot down an aerial target. Brad Lendon, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024 The new production showcases different cultures and nationalities joining together to present circus acrobatics and aerial artistry along with other entertainment. The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2024 The group shared a new ad for its proposal last week, along with an aerial concept map of how the new city might fill those tens of thousands of acres the group owns. Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2024 Live bands, DJs, and aerial acrobat performances follow dinner. Lydia Price, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2024 Recreation Package - Includes white water rafting, aerial ropes courses, ice skating, and more. $600 worth of regional benefits like South Bend Cubs baseball tickets, chocolate factory tours, zoo passes, airline vouchers, and tickets to ride the train to Chicago. John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 8 Mar. 2024 The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) had an assemblage on top that resembled a curved exhaust pipe on a muscle car. Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 6 Mar. 2024 By January, the agencies have a good idea of the wolf population but use aerial surveys to check their work. Hayleigh Evans, The Arizona Republic, 5 Mar. 2024 Kids can enjoy outdoor activities, such as fishing, aerial adventures, archery and canoeing as part of the Strawtown Koteewi camp. Caroline Beck, The Indianapolis Star, 1 Mar. 2024
Noun
Sora appears to allow for the switching of shots, including close-ups, tracking and aerials, as well as the changing of shot compositions. Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Feb. 2024 McClung clinched perfect scores on three of his four dunks and impressed the judges and the crowd with his 360 and 540 aerials. Dj Siddiqi, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024 Six units worked for hours to extinguish the flames, with firefighters manning aerials to get at the blaze from above. The Courier-Journal, 21 July 2023 But my second World Championship title in 2018 was for individual overall: two speed events, and single-rope freestyle, which is tricks: backflips, front flips, aerials. Lauren Daley, BostonGlobe.com, 28 Apr. 2023 Kornieck, 24, leads the NWSL in aerials won with 15. Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Apr. 2023 This information is collected by sophisticated aerials on the International Space Station and relayed back to Earth. WIRED, 30 Mar. 2023 Kiley McKinnon and Mac Bohonnon give the United States its first ever World Cup title double in aerials skiing. Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2023 Or find an aerial. Donna Reiner, The Arizona Republic, 25 Mar. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'aerial.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin āerius (borrowed from Greek āérios, derivative of āer-, aḗr air entry 1) + -al entry 1

Noun

derivative of aerial entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1545, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1902, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of aerial was circa 1545

Dictionary Entries Near aerial

Cite this Entry

“Aerial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aerial. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

aerial

1 of 2 adjective
ae·​ri·​al ˈar-ē-əl How to pronounce aerial (audio)
ˈer-
1
a
: of, relating to, or occurring in the air or atmosphere
an aerial display on a trapeze
b
: living or growing in the air rather than on the ground or in water
c
: running on cables or rails that are raised above the ground
an aerial railway
2
a
: of or relating to aircraft
aerial navigation
b
: designed for use in, taken from, or operating from aircraft
aerial photograph
aerially
-ē-ə-lē
adverb

aerial

2 of 2 noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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