What does airwomen mean?
Airmen is the familiar term for a man who flies an aircraft, while airwomen is its female equivalent. The plural noun refers to women who serve as pilots, including military aviators, commercial airline pilots, private pilots, and other members of the aviation profession. It can appear in historical accounts of women who broke barriers in flying, as well as in reporting about contemporary aviation and air racing. The term carries a strong association with courage, technical skill, independence, and achievement, partly because of the important role of women in the development of aviation. Although the singular form is airwoman, airwomen is the form most commonly used when discussing a group of female aviators.
nounA woman who flies an aircraft, especially a military, commercial, or private aircraft.
- Women who fly aircraft, especially as military, commercial, or private pilots.
"The exhibition celebrated the pioneering airwomen who challenged early assumptions about women's roles in aviation."
"Two airwomen flew the reconnaissance aircraft during the historic flight."
"The documentary profiles airwomen who served in the military and helped expand aviation."
The regular plural of airwoman. It normally takes a plural verb and is used to refer to two or more female pilots or aviators.
"The airwomen completed their training and prepared for their first mission."
From Amelia Earhart to modern airline captains, airwomen names the women who have made flight a profession and a frontier.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of airwomen
Airwoman is a compound of air and woman, patterned on airman, the established term for a male aviator. Its aviation sense of air ultimately derives from Latin aer, meaning “air” or “atmosphere,” while woman is an inherited English word. The compound developed alongside the expansion of professional and military aviation, when women increasingly gained access to flight training and licensed piloting.
Related word forms
How airwomen is actually used
The word is normally used as a plural noun, with airwoman serving as its singular. It is appropriate in formal, historical, biographical, and contemporary aviation contexts.
Easily confused with airwomen
Airwoman is the singular form, while airwomen is the regular plural and refers to more than one female pilot.
Airman traditionally refers to a male aviator, whereas airwomen refers to female aviators.