flight

1 of 3

noun (1)

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
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
The 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
5
: 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
flightless adjective

flight

2 of 3

verb

flighted; flighting; flights

intransitive verb

: to rise, settle, or fly in a flock
geese flighting on the marsh

flight

3 of 3

noun (2)

: 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The real meat of the episode is the fight between Bronwyn and Lisa, which has been bubbling since the flight to Palm Springs. Sarah Hagi, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2024 Venezuela retaliated by refusing deportation flights from the United States and Mexico. Tirana Hassan, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024 Tickets for the new flights start at just $49 one-way from Miami, according to a search on the airline’s website. Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2024 The singer, 44, shared a photo of a personalized note tucked into a snack bag she was given during a recent Delta flight on her Instagram Stories on Monday, Nov. 4. Erin Clements, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for flight 

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English flyht; akin to Middle Dutch vlucht flight, Old English flēogan to fly

Noun (2)

Middle English fluht, fliht; akin to Old High German fluht flight, Old English flēon to flee

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1571, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun (2)

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of flight was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near flight

Cite this Entry

“Flight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flight. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

flight

1 of 2 noun
1
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on flight

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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