landing
B1Neutral (used across formal, informal, and technical contexts)
Definition
Meaning
The act of coming down or bringing something down to the ground or a surface after flight or a jump.
A platform or area at the top of a set of stairs, or a place where people and goods can be unloaded from a boat or aircraft.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The primary sense relates to movement from air/water to ground. The architectural sense (stair landing) is a common, distinct meaning derived from the idea of 'coming to rest' on a level platform.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in core meaning. In nautical/military contexts, the terms for types of landing craft (e.g., 'landing craft, utility' vs. 'LCU') might show formal vs. acronym preference.
Connotations
Identical.
Frequency
Equally frequent in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Verb] + landing (make/perform/execute a landing)[Adjective] + landing (emergency/soft/hard landing)landing + [Preposition] + [Noun] (landing on the moon/at the airport)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A bumpy landing (literal & figurative: a difficult conclusion)”
- “Three-point landing (a perfect aircraft landing, also figurative for a smooth finish)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Economic term: 'a soft landing' for a gentle slowdown in growth. Marketing: 'landing page' for a website designed to capture leads.
Academic
Used in history ('D-Day landings'), aeronautical engineering, and architecture.
Everyday
Discussing travel ('our landing was delayed'), or in a house ('wait for me on the landing').
Technical
Aviation: 'ILS landing' (Instrument Landing System). Military: 'amphibious landing'. Web design: 'click-through rate for the landing page'.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The pilot is landing the aircraft in heavy fog.
- We shall be landing at Gatwick shortly.
American English
- The pilot is landing the airplane in heavy fog.
- We will be landing at JFK shortly.
adverb
British English
- The bird came landing gently on the branch. (rare, participle as adverb)
- N/A for standard adverb form.
American English
- The bird came landing softly on the branch. (rare, participle as adverb)
- N/A for standard adverb form.
adjective
British English
- The landing sequence was fully automated.
- Please ensure the landing gear is down.
American English
- The landing sequence was fully automated.
- Please ensure the landing gear is down.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The plane's landing was very smooth.
- My flat is on the third floor, next to the staircase landing.
- The helicopter made an emergency landing in a field.
- She waited for me on the landing between the floors.
- The new drone is capable of a precise vertical landing on uneven terrain.
- The economic policies are aimed at achieving a soft landing to avoid a recession.
- The website's landing page was meticulously A/B tested to optimise conversion rates.
- Historians still debate the strategic implications of the amphibious landings at Anzio.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
LANDing is where a plane meets the LAND, or where your foot meets the LAND on a staircase.
Conceptual Metaphor
LANDING IS ARRIVAL/END OF A JOURNEY (used for projects, careers, e.g., 'land a job', 'the project had a rough landing').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- In architecture, 'landing' is 'площадка' (stair landing), not 'посадка'. 'Moon landing' is 'высадка на луну', not just 'лунная посадка'. Avoid using 'лендинг' as a direct borrowing in formal Russian; use 'посадочная страница' for 'landing page'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'landing' as a verb (the verb is 'to land'). Confusing 'landing' (platform) with 'corridor' or 'hallway'. Misspelling as 'lending'.
Practice
Quiz
In web marketing, what is a 'landing page' primarily designed for?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. While common for aircraft, it's also used for ships (e.g., 'ferry landing'), spacecraft, birds, and people jumping. It also refers to a flat area at the top of a staircase.
In aviation, they are often synonyms. However, 'touchdown' is the precise moment the wheels touch the ground, while 'landing' encompasses the entire process from approach to coming to a full stop.
No. 'Landing' is a noun (or a present participle/adjective). The base verb is 'to land' (e.g., 'The plane will land').
It is the flat area at the top of a flight of stairs, or sometimes a similar area partway up a staircase where it turns. It's a platform for accessing doors to rooms or for pausing while going up or down.
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