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Definition of ufo

ufo

/ˌjuː.ɛfˈoʊ/
U · F · O
Plural:UFOs
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ufo Lexical Profile

ufo Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

An unidentified flying object; any mysterious aerial object or optical phenomenon not readily explainable to the observer, often popularly associated with a hypothesized extraterrestrial spacecraft.

Example

"Several commercial pilots reported seeing a brightly lit UFO hovering above the clouds before it vanished at high speed."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for ufo

Word Nuance & Usage

Usually written in all uppercase letters as 'UFO' (plural 'UFOs'). While strictly referring to any unexplained aerial phenomenon, in popular usage it strongly connotes a hypothesized extraterrestrial spacecraft.

• Rhymes for ufo

• Nearby Words

uey
ufa
ufa river
ufo
uganda
ugandan
ugandan blind snake

Word Origin & Etymology

Coined in 1952 by United States Air Force Captain Edward J. Ruppelt, head of Project Blue Book, as an initialism for 'unidentified flying object' to replace the more sensational term 'flying saucer.'

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Ufo. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/ufo
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