aerial

Aerial is an adjective describing something related to air or the atmosphere, or occurring in the air. The word comes from Latin aer, meaning air, and entered English via French and other Romance languages.

In common usage, aerial often refers to activities, objects, or phenomena in the air, such as aerial reconnaissance, aerial firefighting, or an aerial view captured from above. It is also used in aviation and meteorology to describe processes or measurements made in flight.

As a noun, in British English an aerial is a radio or TV antenna. Aerials are designed to transmit or receive electromagnetic waves and come in various forms, including wire, rod, dipole, Yagi, and parabolic designs. Their performance depends on height, orientation, and frequency.

Aerial photography and videography involve capturing images from aircraft, balloons, or unmanned aerial vehicles. This discipline supports cartography, surveying, filmmaking, and journalism, and requires considerations of altitude, perspective, lighting, and air safety.

Other uses include aerial tramways and cable cars, which operate on overhead cables, and in some contexts the term appears in titles of works or brands.