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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
The Germans launched attacks on Bath, York and Exeter in April 1942; a smaller-scale aerial campaign known as the Baby Blitz barraged Britain between January and May 1944. Gregory Wakeman, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Nov. 2024 Authorities at the Christmas Island National Park had already attempted aerial baiting on multiple occasions, where a helicopter was used to bait the ant colonies with a low concentration of the insecticide, Fipronil. Scott Travers, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024
Noun
Okoli scores a high percentage compared to other central defenders for tackles (70, with 81 in the middle portion of the pitch), clearances (80) and aerials won (64), but also progressive passes (58) were relatively high. Rob Tanner, The Athletic, 9 July 2024 Only 36 miles from Salt Lake City, Deer Valley hosted the alpine slalom, freestyle aerials and freestyle moguls events during the 2002 Winter Olympics. Roger Sands, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for aerial 

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 1 Dec. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!