plural flights
often attributive
1
a
: an act or instance of passing through the air by the use of wings
the flight of a bee
b
: the ability to fly
flight is natural to birds
2
a
: a passing through the air or through space outside the earth's atmosphere
flight of an arrow
the flight of a rocket to the moon
b
: the distance covered in such a flight
c
: swift movement
3
a
: a trip made by or in an airplane or spacecraft
a transatlantic flight
b(1)
: a scheduled airplane trip
Our flight is at noon.
(2)
: the airplane that is making a trip
They boarded flight 109.
4
a
: a group of similar beings or objects flying through the air together
a flight of geese
b
: a number of competitors (as in a sport) grouped together on the basis of demonstrated skill or ability or for purposes of elimination contests prior to a final test
At a meet, shot putters and discus throwers are often separated into flights.—
Kristin Wolden Nitz
Kristin Wolden Nitz
c
: a selection of alcoholic drinks (such as wines, beers, or whiskeys) for tasting as a group
Most of the 20 people attending the tasting were German wine collectors and they seemed almost always to prefer the most powerful wine in each flight.—James Suckling
James SucklingThe tour meets in the White Labs tasting room, where you will have to ignore the siren call of the beer flights and follow your guide to the actual labs.—Karla Peterson
Karla Peterson5
: a brilliant, imaginative, or unrestrained exercise or display
a flight of fancy
6
a
: a continuous series of stairs from one landing or floor to another
Her apartment is four flights up.
b
: a series (as of terraces or conveyors) resembling a flight of stairs
7
: a unit of the U.S. Air Force below a squadron
flighted; flighting; flights
: to rise, settle, or fly in a flock
geese flighting on the marsh
: an act or instance of running away
Examples of flight in a Sentence
Noun (1)
for centuries people had been fascinated by the flight of birds
Noun (2)
a work of 19th-century Romanticism depicting the ancient Israelites' flight from Egypt
Recent Examples on the Web
Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 27 May 2025
The closest airport with flights arriving from the U.S. is Venice Marco Polo Airport, about a two-hour drive from Trieste.
—Elizabeth Heath, Travel + Leisure, 26 May 2025
This being Washington, the decorations featured an eagle in flight, but, unlike the eagle on the Executive Branch club’s insignia, this one clutched photos of Musk, Bezos, and Zuckerberg, dressed in tuxedos.
—Evan Osnos, New Yorker, 26 May 2025
The amount of compensation depends on the length of your flight and the length of the delay.
—Christopher Elliott The Travel Troubleshooter, Sun Sentinel, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for flight
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Noun
An All Nippon Airways flight traveling from Tokyo to Houston was diverted to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport after a passenger reportedly tried to open the plane's exit doors mid-flight, authorities said.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 27 May 2025
The closest airport with flights arriving from the U.S. is Venice Marco Polo Airport, about a two-hour drive from Trieste.
—Elizabeth Heath, Travel + Leisure, 26 May 2025
This being Washington, the decorations featured an eagle in flight, but, unlike the eagle on the Executive Branch club’s insignia, this one clutched photos of Musk, Bezos, and Zuckerberg, dressed in tuxedos.
—Evan Osnos, New Yorker, 26 May 2025
The amount of compensation depends on the length of your flight and the length of the delay.
—Christopher Elliott The Travel Troubleshooter, Sun Sentinel, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for flight
Cite this Entry
“Flight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flight. Accessed 30 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
flight
1 of 2 noun1
: an act or instance of passing through the air by the use of wings
a flight in a plane
the flight of birds
2
a
: a passing through the air or through outer space
the flight of a bullet
the flight of a rocket to the moon
b
: the distance covered in a flight
3
: a scheduled airplane trip
4
: a group of similar things flying through the air together
a flight of ducks
5
: a brilliant, imaginative, or uncontrolled exercise or display
a flight of fancy
6
: a continuous series of stairs from one landing or floor to another
flight
2 of 2 noun
: an act or instance of running away
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