What does "pilot" mean?
A person who steers a ship, a helmsman.
Pilot
/ˈpaɪ.lət/ adj, noun, verb, slang
adj, noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A person who steers a ship, a helmsman.
- Grammar: pilot is listed as adj, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: aegis, aerialist, aeronaut, aeroplaner.
- Useful contrasts: automatic, autonomous, bombardier.
- Usage evidence: As the plane was approaching turbulence, the pilot asked the passengers aboard the plane to fasten their seat belts.
How to use "pilot"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "pilot" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "pilot" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "pilot" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "pilot" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "pilot" is acting as adj, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "aegis" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "pilot", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A person who steers a ship, a helmsman.
"They scud before the wind, and sail in open sea. Ahead of all the master pilot steers; And, as he leads, the following navy veers."
- 2 Acronym of payment in lieu of taxes abbreviation, acronym, alt-of
- 3 an inclined metal frame at the front of a locomotive to clear the track wordnet
- 4 A person who knows well the depths and currents of a harbor or coastal area, who is hired by a vessel to help navigate the harbor or coast.
- 5 small auxiliary gas burner that provides a flame to ignite a larger gas burner wordnet
Show 19 more definitions
- 6 A guide book for maritime navigation.
- 7 something that serves as a model or a basis for making copies wordnet
- 8 An instrument for detecting the compass error.
- 9 a program exemplifying a contemplated series; intended to attract sponsors wordnet
- 10 A pilot vehicle. Australia, informal
- 11 someone who is licensed to operate an aircraft in flight wordnet
- 12 A person authorised to drive such a vehicle during an escort. Australia
- 13 a person qualified to guide ships through difficult waters going into or out of a harbor wordnet
- 14 A guide or escort through an unknown or dangerous area.
"So we mounted our horses, and put out for that town, under the direction of two friendly Creeks we had taken for pilots."
- 15 Something serving as a test or trial.
"We would like to run a pilot in your facility before rolling out the program citywide."
- 16 Something serving as a test or trial.; The heading or excavation of relatively small dimensions, first made in the driving of a larger tunnel.
- 17 A tone or signal, usually a single frequency, transmitted over a communications system for control or synchronization purposes. attributive, often
- 18 A person who is in charge of the controls of an aircraft.
- 19 A sample episode of a proposed TV series produced to decide if it should be made or not. If approved, typically the first episode of an actual TV series.
"I think her biggest deal was she starred in a pilot.[…]Well, the way they pick TV shows is they make one show. That show's called a pilot. Then they show that one show to the people who pick shows, and on the strength of that one show, they decide if they wanna make more shows."
- 20 A cowcatcher.
- 21 A racing driver. Europe
- 22 A pilot light.
- 23 One who flies a kite.
"Julia has become quite a good kite pilot. She has learned how to repeatedly buzz her father's head, coming within two feet, and not hitting him."
- 24 A short plug, sometimes made interchangeable, at the end of a counterbore to guide the tool.
Verb
- 1 To control (an aircraft or watercraft). transitive
"I have visited more than half a dozen carrier training facilities, spent over 150 hours on jumpseats, piloted a Lockheed 1011 from MIA to LAX, visited numerous towers, rapcons, and centers, and discussed our commercial Air Transport System with everyone involved."
- 2 act as the navigator in a car, plane, or vessel and plan, direct, plot the path and position of the conveyance wordnet
- 3 To guide (a vessel) through coastal waters. transitive
- 4 operate an airplane wordnet
- 5 To test or have a preliminary trial of (an idea, a new product, television show, etc.) transitive
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 To serve as the leading locomotive on a double-headed train.
"One of the Midland Lines' Birmingham R.C.W. Type 2 diesels, No. D5403, made the debut of its class in the Manchester area on July 28 when it appeared in the early hours on freight; after four days in the area it left for the south piloting B.R./Sulzer Type 4 diesel No. D88 on the 2.25 Manchester Central-St. Pancras."
- 7 To guide or conduct (a person) somewhere. transitive
"Thus it came about that, three days later, I descended from the train at Styles St. Mary, an absurd little station, with no apparent reason for existence, perched up in the midst of green fields and country lanes. John Cavendish was waiting on the platform, and piloted me out to the car."
Adjective
- 1 Made or used as a test or demonstration of capability. not-comparable
"a pilot run of the new factory"
- 2 Used to control or activate another device. not-comparable
"a pilot light"
- 3 Being a vehicle to warn other road users of the presence of an oversize vehicle/combination. not-comparable
"a pilot vehicle"
Antonyms
Example
"As the plane was approaching turbulence, the pilot asked the passengers aboard the plane to fasten their seat belts."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "pilot"?
Common synonyms include: aegis, aerialist, aeronaut, aeroplaner, aeroplanist, agent.
How do you use "pilot" in a sentence?
As the plane was approaching turbulence, the pilot asked the passengers aboard the plane to fasten their seat belts.
How do you pronounce "pilot"?
Pronounced /ˈpaɪ.lət/.
Etymology
From Middle French pilot, pillot, from Italian pilota, piloto, older also pedotta, pedot(t)o (the form in pil- is probably influenced by pileggiare (“to sail, navigate”)); ultimately from unattested Byzantine Greek *πηδώτης (*pēdṓtēs, “helmsman”), from Ancient Greek πηδόν (pēdón, “blade of an oar, oar”), hence also Ancient and Modern Greek πηδάλιον (pēdálion, “rudder”).