flight

FLYT /flaɪt/
nounA1IELTSTOEFL
neutral

A journey made by air, or a scheduled air transport service.

Can mean the general act of flying, or a specific scheduled air route (e.g., Flight 101).

The story behind the word. Derived from Proto-Germanic 'fluhti-', coming from the verb 'fleugan' (to fly). It has described airborne motion in English for over a millennium.

Word relationships

  • journey: Journey is general travel by any mode; flight is strictly airborne travel.

Commonly confused with

  • fly: Fly is the verb; flight is the noun describing the journey or action.

Word family

  • fly (verb): To move through the air.

Collocations

  • direct flight
  • flight attendant
  • flight number
  • catch a flight

Idioms & expressions

  • flight of fancy
  • fight or flight

Example sentences

  • "Our non-stop flight to London departed on time despite heavy morning fog." Booking confirmation
  • "The Wright brothers made history with the first controlled powered flight in 1903." Aviation history

Memory hook

Flight = Flying from departure to destination. A journey through the sky.

When not to use

Do not confuse with 'flea' or 'flee' (running away, though 'flight' can figuratively mean escape in 'fight or flight').

Fun facts

  • At any given moment during peak travel hours, there are over 10,000 commercial flights in the air worldwide.

Related words

departure, itinerary

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