anti-aircraft: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Technical / Military
Quick answer
What does “anti-aircraft” mean?
designed for, used in, or relating to defense against enemy aircraft.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
designed for, used in, or relating to defense against enemy aircraft.
In a more general sense, it can be used metaphorically to describe any system, measure, or resource intended to counter an airborne threat or a rapidly approaching danger.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or use. The term is standard in the military lexicon of both varieties.
Connotations
Strongly associated with military conflict, defense technology, and historical contexts (e.g., World War II).
Frequency
Equal frequency in relevant technical/military contexts in both regions. Rare in everyday conversation.
Grammar
How to Use “anti-aircraft” in a Sentence
[anti-aircraft] + NOUN (attributive adjective)VERB + [anti-aircraft] (as a noun, often plural)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “anti-aircraft” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- [Not used as a verb]
American English
- [Not used as a verb]
adverb
British English
- [Not used as an adverb]
American English
- [Not used as an adverb]
adjective
British English
- The cruiser was fitted with new anti-aircraft missiles.
- Anti-aircraft fire lit up the night sky over London.
American English
- The base was protected by several anti-aircraft batteries.
- They deployed anti-aircraft units along the coast.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Used in historical, military, and engineering studies.
Everyday
Extremely rare outside discussions of history, war, or technology.
Technical
Standard term in military, defense, and aerospace engineering contexts.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “anti-aircraft”
- Misspelling as 'antiaircraft' (less common but acceptable), 'anti-air-craft', or 'anti aircraft' (without hyphen). Using it as a stand-alone noun without a following noun (e.g., 'They used anti-aircraft' is vague; 'They used anti-aircraft guns' is correct).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is most correctly written with a hyphen: anti-aircraft. The unhyphenated form 'antiaircraft' is also seen, especially in American English, but the hyphenated form is more standard in dictionaries.
Yes, but it is less common. As a noun, it usually refers to anti-aircraft weapons collectively and is often used in the plural (e.g., 'The ship's anti-aircrafts opened fire'). It is far more common as an adjective (e.g., anti-aircraft gun).
The word 'flak' is a direct synonym originating from the German acronym for anti-aircraft cannon. It is commonly used to mean anti-aircraft fire, especially from explosive shells.
No. It is a technical military term. You will encounter it in history books, news reports about conflicts, documentaries, and technical discussions about defense systems, but not in general casual talk.
designed for, used in, or relating to defense against enemy aircraft.
Anti-aircraft is usually technical / military in register.
Anti-aircraft: in British English it is pronounced /ˌæn.tiˈeə.krɑːft/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌæn.tiˈer.kræft/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No common idioms directly associated with the word]”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'anti' (against) + 'aircraft' (planes in the air). It's a weapon that fights against aircraft.
Conceptual Metaphor
DEFENSE IS A SHIELD; WAR IS A GAME OF CHESS (strategic positioning of anti-aircraft units).
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary function of something described as 'anti-aircraft'?