Word
sortie
Phoneticssor·tie, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈsɔɹti/
UK/sˈɔːti/
Countable noun
Definition
n. a short trip by soldiers or a military plane to attack or do a special job, and then return to base.
n. a short mission by troops or military aircraft from a defensive position, typically to attack, reconnoitre, or gather intelligence before returning to base.
Examples
“The pilot flies one sortie every morning.”
“The squadron flew three sorties over the border to photograph enemy positions.”
“After weeks of bad weather, the crew finally launched a dawn sortie that mapped the coastline in a single pass.”
Examples
simple
“The pilot flies one sortie every morning.”
contextual
“The squadron flew three sorties over the border to photograph enemy positions.”
complex
“After weeks of bad weather, the crew finally launched a dawn sortie that mapped the coastline in a single pass.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “sortie” in context.
Verb
01. conduct sortie
“The air force conducted daily sorties throughout the operation.”
verb + noun
02. fly sortie
“Our squadron will fly three sorties before nightfall.”
verb + noun
03. go on sortie
“The crew went on a sortie to photograph enemy positions.”
verb + prep + noun
04. launch sortie
“Command decided to launch a sortie at first light.”
verb + noun
05. mount sortie
“The troops mounted a sortie to destroy the bridge.”
verb + noun
Adjective
06. bombing sortie
“The squadron carried out a bombing sortie against enemy supply lines.”
adj + noun
07. combat sortie
“The pilot logged over fifty combat sorties during the deployment.”
adj + noun
08. daring sortie
“A small unit made a daring sortie to rescue trapped civilians.”
adj + noun
09. carry out a combat sortie
“Pilots carried out a combat sortie over the conflict zone.”
10. fly a reconnaissance sortie
“Satellite images show jets that flew a reconnaissance sortie yesterday.”
11. go on a daring sortie
“Volunteers went on a daring sortie to save the hostages.”
12. launch a bombing sortie
“The squadron launched a bombing sortie before dawn.”
Real-World Examples
“It also said the RAF had conducted thousands of sorties, striking more than 2,300 IS targets.” Etymology
PIE word *upó The noun is borrowed from French sortie (“act of exiting; exit, way out; (military) sally, sortie”), the feminine past participle of sortir (“to exit, go out”), from Old French sortir, from Latin sortīrī, the present active infinitive of sortior (“to cast or draw lots; to choose, select; to distribute, divide; to obtain, receive; to share”), from sors (“something used to determine chances, a lot; casting or drawing of lots; decision by lot; a share”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ser- (“to bind, tie together; a thread”)), possibly influenced by surrēctus (“arisen, having been caused to arise; gotten up, having been gotten up”), the perfect passive participle of surgō (“to arise, get up, rise”), from subrigō (“to lift up; to straighten”), from sub- (prefix meaning ‘beneath, under’) + regō (“to direct, guide, steer; to govern, rule; to manage, oversee”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₃reǵ- (“to right oneself, straighten; just; right”)). The verb is derived from the noun.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Related words
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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