www.merriam-webster.com Open in urlscan Pro
3.161.213.52  Public Scan

Form analysis
3 forms found in the DOM

/dictionary

<form id="search-form" class="d-flex w-100 position-relative search-form search-nonempty" autocomplete="off" novalidate="" action="/dictionary">
  <input id="search-term" class="form-control rounded border-dark search" type="search" placeholder="Search Dictionary" aria-label="Search" value="flight" autocomplete="off" spellcheck="false" autocorrect="off" autocapitalize="off">
  <button class="btn position-absolute close-button" title="close" aria-label="Close Search" type="reset">
    <svg class="align-middle" width="12" height="13" viewBox="0 0 12 13" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
      <path fill-rule="evenodd" clip-rule="evenodd"
        d="M7.42616 6.5L11.7046 10.7785C12.0985 11.1723 12.0985 11.8108 11.7046 12.2046C11.3108 12.5985 10.6723 12.5985 10.2785 12.2046L6 7.92616L1.72153 12.2046C1.3277 12.5985 0.68919 12.5985 0.295367 12.2046C-0.0984557 11.8108 -0.0984557 11.1723 0.295367 10.7785L4.57384 6.5L0.295367 2.22153C-0.0984557 1.8277 -0.0984557 1.18919 0.295367 0.795367C0.68919 0.401544 1.3277 0.401544 1.72153 0.795367L6 5.07384L10.2785 0.795367C10.6723 0.401544 11.3108 0.401544 11.7046 0.795367C12.0985 1.18919 12.0985 1.8277 11.7046 2.22153L7.42616 6.5Z"
        fill="#97BECE"></path>
    </svg>
  </button>
  <button class="btn position-absolute search-button search-dictionary" title="Search" aria-label="Search Word" type="submit">
    <svg class="svg replaced-svg align-middle" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" width="19px" height="21px" viewBox="0 0 26 29" version="1.1">
      <g class="Search" stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd">
        <g class="g-search-icon" transform="translate(1.000000, 1.000000)" fill="#fff" fill-rule="nonzero">
          <path
            d="M17.5185815,17.4073633 L24.5896493,24.4784311 C24.9801736,24.8689554 24.9801736,25.5021204 24.5896493,25.8926447 L23.1754357,27.3068582 C22.7849114,27.6973825 22.1517464,27.6973825 21.7612221,27.3068582 L14.6901543,20.2357904 C14.29963,19.8452661 14.29963,19.2121011 14.6901543,18.8215769 L16.1043679,17.4073633 C16.4948922,17.016839 17.1280572,17.016839 17.5185815,17.4073633 Z M10.5,21 C4.70101013,21 0,16.2989899 0,10.5 C0,4.70101013 4.70101013,0 10.5,0 C16.2989899,0 21,4.70101013 21,10.5 C21,16.2989899 16.2989899,21 10.5,21 Z M10.5,18 C14.6421356,18 18,14.6421356 18,10.5 C18,6.35786438 14.6421356,3 10.5,3 C6.35786438,3 3,6.35786438 3,10.5 C3,14.6421356 6.35786438,18 10.5,18 Z"
            class="Oval"></path>
        </g>
      </g>
    </svg>
  </button>
</form>

POST /word-of-the-day

<form class="js-wod-subscribe-frm wotd-side__subscribe__form" action="/word-of-the-day" method="post">
  <input type="submit" class="wod-submit wotd-side__subscribe__form__submit" name="wod-submit" value="SUBSCRIBE">
  <input type="text" class="wod-subscribe wotd-side__subscribe__form__input" name="wod-subscribe" placeholder="Your email address" aria-label="Subscribe to Word of the Day">
</form>

<form data-medium="footer" class="footer-subscribe js-wod-subscribe-frm">
  <input class="footer-subscribe-field" type="text" name="email" value="" aria-label="Sign up for Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day newsletter" placeholder="Your email address">
  <input class="footer-subscribe-button" type="submit" name="submit" aria-label="Subscribe" value="SUBSCRIBE">
  <input class="footer-subscribe-button hidden arrow" type="submit" name="submit" value=">">
</form>

Text Content

Menu Toggle Merriam-Webster Logo


 * Games & Quizzes
 * Games & Quizzes
 * Word of the Day
 * Grammar
 * Wordplay
 * Word Finder
 * Thesaurus
 * Join MWU
 * * Shop
   * Books link icon
   * Merch link icon
 * * Settings
   * My Words
   * Recents
   * Account
   * Log Out
 * More
   
   * Thesaurus
   * Join MWU link icon
   * Shop
   * Books link icon
   * Merch link icon
      * Log In
      * Username
      * My Words
      * Recents
      * Account
      * Log Out


Est. 1828
Dictionary Definition
 * noun (1)
 * verb
 * noun (2)
 * noun 3
   * noun (1)
   * verb
   * noun (2)
 * 
 * Synonyms
 * Example Sentences
 * Word History
 * Phrases Containing
 * Related Articles
 * Entries Near

 *  * Cite this EntryCitation
    * Share
    * Kids DefinitionKids
    * More from M-W
   
   Show more
 * Show more
   * Citation
   * Share
   * Kids
   * More from M-W

 * Save Word
   * To save this word, you'll need to log in.
     Log In





FLIGHT

1 of 3


NOUN (1)

ˈflīt How to pronounce flight (audio)

plural flights
often attributive
Synonyms of flightnext
1
a
: an act or instance of passing through the air by the use of wings
the flight of a bee

b
: the ability to fly
flight is natural to birds


2
a
: a passing through the air or through space outside the earth's atmosphere
flight of an arrow

the flight of a rocket to the moon

b
: the distance covered in such a flight
c
: swift movement

3
a
: a trip made by or in an airplane or spacecraft
a transatlantic flight

b(1)
: a scheduled airplane trip
Our flight is at noon.

(2)
: the airplane that is making a trip
They boarded flight 109.


4
a
: a group of similar beings or objects flying through the air together
a flight of geese

b
: a number of competitors (as in a sport) grouped together on the basis of
demonstrated skill or ability or for purposes of elimination contests prior to a
final test
At a meet, shot putters and discus throwers are often separated into flights.—
Kristin Wolden Nitz

c
: a selection of alcoholic drinks (such as wines, beers, or whiskeys) for
tasting as a group
Most of the 20 people attending the tasting were German wine collectors and they
seemed almost always to prefer the most powerful wine in each flight.— James
Suckling

The tour meets in the White Labs tasting room, where you will have to ignore the
siren call of the beer flights and follow your guide to the actual labs.— Karla
Peterson


5
: a brilliant, imaginative, or unrestrained exercise or display
a flight of fancy


6
a
: a continuous series of stairs from one landing or floor to another
Her apartment is four flights up.

b
: a series (as of terraces or conveyors) resembling a flight of stairs

7
: a unit of the U.S. Air Force below a squadron

flightless
ˈflīt-ləs How to pronounce flight (audio)
adjective


flight

2 of 3


VERB

flighted; flighting; flights

transitive verb

: flush

intransitive verb

: to rise, settle, or fly in a flock
geese flighting on the marsh


flight

3 of 3


NOUN (2)

: an act or instance of running away



SYNONYMS

Noun (1)

   
 * flying
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Noun (2)

   
 * break
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * breakout
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * bunk [British]
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * escape
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * getaway
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * lam
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * rout
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * slip
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 


EXAMPLES OF FLIGHT IN A SENTENCE

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
More than three decades before Netflix’s Society of the Snow, which revisits the
true story of the 1972 Andes flight disaster, Alive made an indelible impact. —
Ryan Gajewski, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Jan. 2024 Detroit Metro Airport and
the Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids previously saw dozens
of flight cancellations Friday and to a lesser extent Saturday. Expect freezing
temperatures to continue in the region this week, as cold arctic air enters the
area, according to the NWS. — Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 14 Jan.
2024
The Arctic blast brought snowfall of up to 13 inches in northeast Illinois
Friday morning to Saturday morning — causing hundreds of flight cancellations at
Chicago O’Hare International Airport and school closures. — Eden Villalovas,
Washington Examiner, 13 Jan. 2024 The launch appeared to have been a
shorter-range ballistic missile than those recently tested based on its flight
time, Japan's Defense Ministry said. — Anthony Trotter, ABC News, 13 Jan. 2024
The Sirius jets could well set a new industry standard in terms of flight
distance and speeds. — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 12 Jan. 2024 Another
component adding to the flight disruptions are Alaska Airlines' and United's
Boeing Max 9 aircrafts are grounded. — Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 12
Jan. 2024 During the flight home to Newark on Jan. 6, Romey wasn’t fussy at all.
— Sydney Page, Washington Post, 12 Jan. 2024 Boeing Max 9:What flyers should
know as Alaska, United cancel weekend flights Reach the reporter at
Michael.Salerno@gannett.com. — Michael Salerno, The Arizona Republic, 12 Jan.
2024
Verb
At 18, Murray flighted a wedge from 78 yards inside three feet to match
Bradley’s 67 and tied An (64), who two-putted for birdie ahead of him to get to
17 under. — Adam Schupak, The Arizona Republic, 15 Jan. 2024 Emirates flight 522
from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to Dubai International
Airport (DXB) touched down almost an hour ahead of schedule. — Amanda Maile, ABC
News, 2 Nov. 2023 Mental health and stress are very closely related, and
bringing the nervous system from fight or flight to rest and digestion is how
your best decision-making occurs. — Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling
Stone, 21 June 2023 Mullinax was life flighted to a hospital in Charlotte, North
Carolina, for his injuries. — Dianne Gallagher, CNN, 10 May 2023 On Monday, Xi
hit out at the United States, while calling on China’s private companies to
flight alongside the Communist Party and boost growth and tech innovation. —
Laura He, CNN, 8 Mar. 2023 So what causes turbulence, and how can flight crews
and passengers protect themselves? — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Mar. 2023
On peak days in July, Sun Country will flight twice each day. — Scott McMurren,
Anchorage Daily News, 25 Feb. 2023
See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to
illustrate current usage of the word 'flight.' 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

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English flyht; akin to Middle Dutch vlucht flight, Old
English flēogan to fly

Noun (2)

Middle English fluht, fliht; akin to Old High German fluht flight, Old English
flēon to flee

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1571, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun (2)

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of flight was before the 12th century
See more words from the same century


PHRASES CONTAINING FLIGHT

 * flight bag
 * flight attendant
 * flight data recorder
 * fight-or-flight
 * flight deck
 * flight feather
 * flight lieutenant
 * flight engineer
 * flight pay
   flight pathflight planflight of fancy/imagination/fantasyflight
   linein-flightput (someone) to flighttake flightflight-testflight
   surgeonflight suitwhite flightflight recordertime-of-flight

See More
 * flight bag
 * flight attendant
 * flight data recorder
 * fight-or-flight
 * flight deck
 * flight feather
   flight lieutenantflight engineerflight payflight pathflight planflight of
   fancy/imagination/fantasyflight linein-flightput (someone) to flighttake
   flightflight-testflight surgeonflight suitwhite flightflight
   recordertime-of-flight

See More


ARTICLES RELATED TO FLIGHT

We Put a Bunch of New Words in the...

There are more than 840 new entries.

'Flight': A Great Way To Try New Things

A sampler pack full of word history

A Drudge of Lexicographers Presents:...

What do you call a group of cats?




DICTIONARY ENTRIES NEAR FLIGHT

fligged

flight

flight arrow

See More Nearby Entries 


CITE THIS ENTRY

Style
MLA Chicago APA Merriam-Webster

“Flight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flight. Accessed 29 Jan. 2024.

Copy Citation


SHARE

Post the Definition of flight to Facebook Facebook Facebook
Share the Definition of flight on Twitter Twitter Twitter


KIDS DEFINITION

flight

1 of 2 noun
ˈflīt How to pronounce flight (audio)
1
: an act or instance of passing through the air by the use of wings
a flight in a plane

the flight of birds


2
a
: a passing through the air or through outer space
the flight of a bullet

the flight of a rocket to the moon

b
: the distance covered in a flight

3
: a scheduled airplane trip

4
: a group of similar things flying through the air together
a flight of ducks


5
: a brilliant, imaginative, or uncontrolled exercise or display
a flight of fancy


6
: a continuous series of stairs from one landing or floor to another


flight

2 of 2 noun
: an act or instance of running away



MORE FROM MERRIAM-WEBSTER ON FLIGHT

Nglish: Translation of flight for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of flight for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about flight

Last Updated: 18 Jan 2024 - 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!

Merriam-Webster unabridged


CAN YOU SOLVE 4 WORDS AT ONCE?

Play Play


CAN YOU SOLVE 4 WORDS AT ONCE?

Play Play


WORD OF THE DAY

EMOTE

Listen to the pronunciation of emote

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!





POPULAR IN GRAMMAR & USAGE

See All


8 GRAMMAR TERMS YOU USED TO KNOW, BUT FORGOT


HOMOPHONES, HOMOGRAPHS, AND HOMONYMS


YOUR VS. YOU'RE: HOW TO USE THEM CORRECTLY


EVERY LETTER IS SILENT, SOMETIMES: A-Z LIST OF EXAMPLES


MORE COMMONLY MISPRONOUNCED WORDS

See All


POPULAR IN WORDPLAY

See All


THE WORDS OF THE WEEK - JAN. 26


'GASLIGHTING,' 'WOKE,' 'DEMOCRACY,' AND OTHER TOP LOOKUPS


7 ESPECIALLY FITTING COMMON NAMES FOR PLANTS


9 WHISKERY WORDS FOR FACIAL HAIR


RARE AND AMUSING INSULTS, VOLUME 3

See All


GAMES & QUIZZES

See All
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play
Blossom Word Game You can make only 12 words. Pick the best ones!
Play
Missing Letter A crossword with a twist
Play
Spelling Bee Quiz Can you outdo past winners of the National Spelli...
Take the quiz
Merriam Webster

Learn a new word every day. Delivered to your inbox!


 * Help
 * About Us
 * Advertising Info
 * Contact Us
 * Diversity
 * Privacy Policy
 * Terms of Use

 * Facebook
 * Twitter
 * YouTube
 * Instagram

© 2024 Merriam-Webster, Incorporated

✕
Do not sell or share my personal information.
You have chosen to opt-out of the sale or sharing of your information from this
site and any of its affiliates. To opt back in please click the "Customize my ad
experience" link.

This site collects information through the use of cookies and other tracking
tools. Cookies and these tools do not contain any information that personally
identifies a user, but personal information that would be stored about you may
be linked to the information stored in and obtained from them. This information
would be used and shared for Analytics, Ad Serving, Interest Based Advertising,
among other purposes.

For more information please visit this site's Privacy Policy.
CANCEL
CONTINUE

Information from your device can be used to personalize your ad experience.

Do not sell or share my personal information.