What does skydive mean?
Skydiving is the activity of jumping from an aircraft and descending through the air, usually under a parachute. It is associated with recreation, sport, adventure tourism, and military training, although the word is most common in accounts of recreational jumps. People speak of going skydiving, taking a skydiving course, or participating in a skydiving event. The activity requires specialized instruction, equipment, and strict safety procedures, including checking parachutes, receiving instructions from qualified instructors, and observing weather and landing conditions. The expression can also refer more narrowly to the initial free-fall phase of a jump, before the parachute is deployed. In general use, skydiving carries an exciting or adventurous connotation, while formal aviation and military contexts may use the related term parachuting.
To jump from an aircraft and descend through the air, usually with a parachute.
"The group skydived over the mountains before gathering for lunch at the clubhouse."
In recreational contexts, the term usually denotes parachute jumping from an aircraft.
An act or experience of jumping from an aircraft and descending by parachute.
"The first skydive was nerve-racking, but the view made it worthwhile."
The noun is less common than the activity-focused expression skydiving.
Plural skydives is used when referring to individual jumps or completed experiences of the activity.
"She has completed skydives in several countries."
Skydiving turns an exit from an aircraft into a carefully choreographed descent beneath a parachute.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of skydive
Skydiving is a compound formed from sky and dive, both of which are of Germanic origin. The word combines the older sense of sky, meaning the upper atmosphere, with dive, meaning to descend headfirst through air or water. The compound developed in the early 20th century in connection with parachute jumping and aviation. Its close semantic relatives include dive, diver, and diving, which share the same historical root for descending or plunging.
Related word forms
How skydive is actually used
The word is most often used for recreational parachuting from an aircraft. It is also used in military and training contexts, although the broader term parachuting can cover jumps made from buildings, towers, or other elevated positions. In everyday use, skydiving usually implies descent with a parachute rather than prolonged free fall.
Easily confused with skydive
Skydiving is the activity of descending through the air from an aircraft, whereas a parachute is the device used to slow the descent.