Definition
A category and class rating on a pilot certificate that authorizes the holder to act as pilot in command of an airplane with more than one engine that takes off from and lands on land surfaces, as distinguished from water. The category is 'airplane' and the class is 'multiengine land.'
Plain English
An entry on your pilot certificate that says you are allowed to fly airplanes that have more than one engine and operate from regular runways on the ground.
Context Anchor
Seen on pilot certificates, training records, FAA rating tables, and aircraft qualification discussions.
Derivation
Multiengine uses multi-, from Latin multus, meaning many. In this FAA term, it means more than one engine. Land separates this class from airplanes meant to operate on water.
Why Pilots Care
It determines exactly which aircraft a pilot may legally fly and sets the training and checkride requirements needed to add the rating.
Intuition Check
Do not read land here as the action of landing. In this term, land means the airplane is in the land-airplane class, as opposed to a seaplane class.
Example Sentence 1
After completing his checkride in the Piper Seminole, he added an airplane multiengine land class rating to his commercial certificate.
Example Sentence 2
A sport pilot certificate with airplane multiengine land privileges allows flight in qualifying twin-engine aircraft under the applicable limitations.