Definition
People who pilot or travel in balloons, airships, or early aircraft.
Etymology
From Greek aero- (air) and -naut (sailor, from nautes). The term was first applied to hot air balloon operators in the late 1700s, directly paralleling nautical terminology.
Kelly Says
The earliest aeronauts were celebrities—people like Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier became international superstars in the 1780s, and their balloon ascents were reported in newspapers across Europe like major sporting events.
Translations
AMአማርኛ
አየር አስተዳደር
a-yer as-te-dad-er
ARالعربية
طيارون
ṭiyāruːn
BNবাংলা
বিমান যাত্রী
bi-man yaat-ree
CACatalà
aeronautes
ay-roh-na-oots
CSČeština
astronauti
as-tro-na-oo-tee
DADansk
piloter
pi-lo-ter
DEDeutsch
Luftfahrer
looft-fa-her
ELΕλληνικά
αστροναύτες
as-tro-na-v-tes
ESEspañol
aeronautas
ay-roh-nah-oo-tas
FAفارسی
aviator
a-vi-a-tor
FISuomi
lennottajat
len-no-ta-jat
FRFrançais
aéronauteurs
ay-roh-noh-to-r
HEעברית
אסטרונאוטים
as-tro-na-ot-im
HIहिन्दी
हवाई यात्री
havaaee yaat-ree
HUMagyar
repülők
rep-yoo-ok
IDBahasa Indonesia
pilot
pilot
ITItaliano
astronauti
as-tro-na-oo-tee
MRMR
हवाईशास्त्र
havaa-ee-sha-as-tr
MSBahasa Melayu
pilot
pilot
MYမြန်မာ
လေကြောင်း
lay-kyaing
NLNederlands
luchtvaartpiloot
loost-vart-pi-loot
NONorsk
piloter
pi-lo-ter
PAPA
ਹਵਾਈ ਯਾਤਰਾ
havaai yaat-ra
PLPolski
pilotów
pi-lot-ow
PTPortuguês
aeronautas
ay-roh-nah-oo-tas
RORomână
astronaut
as-tro-nawt
RUРусский
авиаторы
av-ee-a-to-ry
SVSvenska
piloter
pi-lo-ter
SWKiswahili
mwanamfua
mwa-na-m-fua
TEతెలుగు
విమాన యాత్రికులు
vi-ma-na yaat-ri-ku-lu
TRTürkçe
hava yolu pilotları
hava yolu pi-lot-lu
UKУкраїнська
космонавти
kos-mo-nav-ty
URاردو
ہوائی کپتان
havaaee ka-p-taan
VITiếng Việt
phi công
phi-cong
Ethical Language Guidance
Gender History
Plural of aeronaut—same gender erasure pattern. Early aviation societies and clubs were male-dominated; women aeronauts were excluded from formal recognition and records.
Inclusive Usage
Use aeronauts for all practitioners. Actively seek and credit women aeronauts in historical and contemporary contexts.
Inclusive Alternatives
["pilots","aviators","air navigators"]
Empowerment Note
Harriet Quimby (first female U.S. pilot, 1911), Geraldine Mock, and countless women aeronauts navigated structural sexism to advance flight; their erasure from aeronaut histories is a critical omission.