Meanings
alternative Karman line · alternative von Karman line · alternative von Kármán line
- aeronauticsThe altitude at which the atmosphere becomes too thin to support aerodynamic flight.
The boundary between Earth’s atmosphere and outer space, known as the Kármán line, has been a source of controversy for years.
2021 July 11, Sarah Betancourt, “Virgin Galactic to launch space plane with Richard Branson onboard”, in The Guardian2 more examples
As well as being important for aircraft and spacecraft, the Kármán line is useful for lawyers—the laws that govern space are not the same as the laws that govern Earth's atmosphere!
2020, Stephen Hawking, Lucy Hawking, Unlocking the Universe, Penguin UK, →ISBNAs for what was worn during the Paris festivities, the dress code wasn’t specifically themed as Marie Antoinette – necklines did plunge deep, in the late 18th-century style, but hemlines had been guillotined somewhere near the Kármán line.
2025 May 20, Marina Hyde, “Was this a hen do or a humanitarian mission to liberate Paris? Either way, give Lauren Sánchez an award”, in The Guardian, →ISSNSynonyms: Gabrielli-von Karman limit, Karman limit, von Karman limit
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe altitude at which the atmosphere becomes too thin to support aerodynamic flight.
Origin
Named after Hungarian-American engineer Theodore von Kármán (1881–1963), who calculated this limit.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
Kármán line. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/K%C3%A1rm%C3%A1n%20line
“Kármán line.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/K%C3%A1rm%C3%A1n%20line. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Kármán line,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/K%C3%A1rm%C3%A1n%20line.
Source: Kármán line on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.