airline
EH-uh-lyn
Airline (noun) means a company that operates aircraft to carry passengers or cargo. Example: “My cousin works for an airline and gets cheap tickets.”
noun
1
A company that operates aircraft to carry passengers or cargo.
"My cousin works for an airline and gets cheap tickets."
"The airline offered every passenger a meal during the long delay."
"The airline canceled dozens of flights due to the storm."
How to use airline
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA company that flies planes to transport people or goods.
Common pairings
budget airline
airline ticket
major airline
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Word forms
- Plural
- airlines
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My cousin works for an _____ and gets cheap tickets.
Etymology
From "air" plus "line," on the model of older transport terms like "shipping line."
Synonyms
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Rhymes for airline
See all rhymes for airline →Frequently asked questions
What does “airline” mean?
The word “airline” means a company that operates aircraft to carry passengers or cargo. In plain terms, a company that flies planes to transport people or goods.
How do you pronounce “airline”?
“Airline” is pronounced EH-uh-lyn (/ˈɛɹˌlaɪn/ in IPA).
How do you use “airline” in a sentence?
Here is “airline” used in a sentence: “The airline canceled dozens of flights due to the storm.”
What part of speech is “airline”?
“Airline” is a noun.
Is “airline” a common word?
“Airline” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
What is the difference between an airline and an airliner?
An airline is a company that operates aircraft to carry passengers or cargo; an airliner is a large passenger aircraft that such a company operates. You fly with an airline, aboard an airliner.
What is the difference between an airline and a carrier?
In aviation, carrier is a common synonym for airline, especially in industry and news writing, as in "low-cost carrier." Carrier is the broader word, though, since it can also refer to shipping, freight, and telecom companies, while an airline is always a company operating aircraft.
Should company names like "American Airlines" take a singular or plural verb?
Treat the name as singular, because it refers to one company: "American Airlines has announced new routes." Many carriers use the plural word Airlines in their names, but each is still a single airline.
What is the difference between airline and airway?
An airline is a company that operates aircraft to carry passengers or cargo. Airway appears in some airline names, such as British Airways, but on its own it usually means a designated route through the air for aircraft, or the passage that carries air into the lungs.
