ultralight
|ul-tra-light|
/ˌʌltrəˈlaɪt/
extremely light (in weight)
Etymology
'ultralight' originates from the prefix 'ultra-' (from Latin 'ultra') meaning 'beyond' combined with English 'light' (from Old English 'līht'/'lēoht'), where 'light' originally meant 'not heavy'.
'ultralight' developed as a compound in modern English (appearing in the 20th century, notably in reference to very light aircraft in the 1970s); 'ultra-' comes from Latin 'ultra' and 'light' evolved from Old English forms 'līht'/'lēoht' to Modern English 'light'.
Initially it described something 'extremely light' in weight; over time it also came to name a category of very lightweight recreational aircraft and very lightweight gear.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a very lightweight aircraft (often single-seat or two-seat) or any very lightweight vehicle/equipment; especially used of small recreational aircraft.
He flies an ultralight over the lake on weekends.
Synonyms
Adjective 1
extremely light in weight; designed to have very low mass.
This ultralight jacket packs into a small pocket and hardly weighs anything.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/18 22:59