aeronaut

noun

aero·​naut ˈer-ə-ˌnȯt How to pronounce aeronaut (audio)
-ˌnät
: one who operates or travels in an airship or balloon

Examples of aeronaut in a Sentence

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.
Drawn from contrasting backgrounds, success would mean entirely different things for the two aeronauts. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 23 Jan. 2026 The aeronauts were unwittingly participating in an experiment that would alter the course of mathematical physics. — Joseph Howlett, Quanta Magazine, 16 May 2025 The prize, which was established in 1980 and long remained a tantalizing challenge to athletic aeronauts, was finally awarded a year ago almost exactly. — IEEE Spectrum, 14 July 2014 During the American Civil War, aeronauts from the Union Balloon Corps piloted vessels such as the Intrepid, Constitution, Eagle, and Washington. — Literary Hub, 24 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for aeronaut

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French aéronaute, from aéro- aero- + -naute (as in Argonaute argonaut), borrowed from Greek naútēs "sailor" — more at nautical

First Known Use

1784, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of aeronaut was in 1784

Rhymes for aeronaut

See All Rhymes for aeronaut

Browse Nearby Words

aeromotor
aeronaut
aeronautical
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Aeronaut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aeronaut. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

aeronaut

noun
aero·​naut ˈar-ə-ˌnȯt How to pronounce aeronaut (audio)
ˈer-, 
-nät
: a person who operates or travels in an airship or a balloon

More from Merriam-Webster on aeronaut

Nglish: Translation of aeronaut for Spanish Speakers

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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All