Aerial

of, in, or produced by the :
aerial currents.
inhabiting or frequenting the :
aerial creatures.
operating on a track or cable elevated above the ground:
an aerial ski lift up the mountainside.
reaching far into the ; high; lofty:
aerial spires.
partaking of the nature of ; airy.
unsubstantial; visionary:
aerial fancies.
having a light and graceful beauty; ethereal:
aerial music.
biology. growing in the , as the advent-tious roots of some trees.
pertaining to or used for, against, or in aircraft.
supplied or performed by means of aircraft:
aerial support; aerial reconnaissance.
a radio or television antenna.
football. .
contemporary examples

step 3: somebody on twitter mistakenly converts “aerial” surveillance into “drone surveillance.”
how lies spread david frum june 17, 2012

the aerial shots were so sharp they could see every bog hole.
the ballad of johnny france richard ben cramer january 11, 2014

an aerial image shows what appears to be a spa, roiling water apparently carrying no nasty connotations.
the luxury homes that torture and your tax dollars built michael daly december 11, 2014

this one, for instance, opens with aerial video of kobani shot from an “islamic state drone.”
an isis hostage on the dark side jamie dettmer october 26, 2014

cut to an aerial shot of clarenden court, the von bulow mansion on millionnaires’ row that might dwarf many small colleges.
covering the sunny von bulow trial lynn sherr december 6, 2008

historical examples

the special pay for officers employed in aerial work is undecided.
jane’s all the world’s aircraft various

lovers of aerial navigation have otherwise not much left to wish for.
in the heart of vosges matilda betham-edwards

it circled and dipped, and down through the clear air aloft came the rippling “tap-tap-tap” of the aerial machine-guns.
canada in flanders, volume ii (of 3) lord max aitken beaverbrook

the “grid” is connected to the aerial wire to intercept the radio waves.
the automobile storage battery o. a. witte

while there was still light, an aerial battle took place overhead.
“and they thought we wouldn’t fight” floyd gibbons

adjective
of, relating to, or resembling air
existing, occurring, moving, or operating in the air: aerial cable car, aerial roots of a plant
ethereal; light and delicate
imaginary; visionary
extending high into the air; lofty
of or relating to aircraft: aerial combat
noun
also called antenna. the part of a radio or television system having any of various shapes, such as a dipole, yagi, long-wire, or vertical aerial, by means of which radio waves are transmitted or received
adj.

c.1600, from latin aerius “airy, aerial, lofty, high” (from greek aerios “of the air, pertaining to air,” from aer “air;” see air (n.1)) + adjectival suffix -al (1).
n.

1902 (short for aerial antenna, etc.); see aerial (adj.).