Aeronautics
/ˌɛə.rəˈnɔː.tɪks/noun
The science or practice of designing, building, and operating aircraft.
Did you know?Aeronautics comes from Greek roots meaning “air” + “sailor,” so the age of flight was literally named like a voyage through the sky.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
aḗr (ἀήρ)
“air, mist, the lower atmosphere”
Ancient Greek
Greek
naútēs (ναύτης)
“sailor, seaman”
Late 18th Century
French
aéronautique
“relating to flight or navigation in the air”
Early 19th Century
English
aeronaut
“a person who travels in a balloon or aircraft”
19th Century
English
aeronautics
“the science or art of air navigation”
Modern English
English
aeronautics
“the science and practice of flight”