Meaning & use
aviation
Last updated
UK/ˌeɪviˈeɪʃən/
US/ˌeɪviˈeɪʃən/
Meaning
noununcountable
The business and practice of building, flying and managing aircraft.
Grammar: Never takes a plural: aviation is growing.
Patterns
- work in aviation
She has worked in aviation for twenty years.
Aviation fuel is stored in large tanks at the airport.
Safety rules in aviation are very strict.
Common combinations
- civil aviation
- Civil aviation authorities approve new aircraft.
- commercial aviation
- Commercial aviation was hit hard by the pandemic.
- aviation industry
- The aviation industry employs millions of people.
- aviation fuel
- The plane took on aviation fuel.
- general aviation
- General aviation includes small private planes.
Synonyms and how they differ
- flying
- Flying is the everyday word for moving through the air, while aviation names the whole field and industry.
- aeronautics
- Aeronautics is the science and engineering of flight, more technical than aviation.
- air travel
- Air travel is about passengers going by plane, whereas aviation includes aircraft and operations.
Word family
Commonly confused: aviation or aviary?
aviation vs aviary
Aviation relates to flying aircraft; an aviary is a large cage for birds.
Practice
Which phrase describes regulation of passenger airlines and airports?
Choose one answer.
Aviation covers aircraft and airport operations, so aviation safety fits. The others are unrelated fields.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “aviation”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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