Definition
A downward angle of an aircraft's wings, where the wingtips sit lower than the wing roots when viewed from the front. Anhedral reduces lateral (roll) stability and is typically used on aircraft that are otherwise too stable in roll, such as high-wing military transports and some fighters, to improve maneuverability.
Plain English
The wings angle downward from the body of the aircraft, so the tips are lower than where the wings join the fuselage.
Context Anchor
Seen in aircraft design, stability, and handling discussions, especially when comparing wing shapes.
Derivation
From the Greek 'an-' meaning 'not' or 'opposite of,' combined with 'hedral' from 'dihedral' (which comes from Greek 'di-' meaning 'two' and 'hedra' meaning 'seat' or 'side'). So anhedral is literally the opposite of dihedral — wings angled down rather than up.
Why Pilots Care
Anhedral reduces lateral stability, which improves maneuverability in some high-performance aircraft but demands precise control inputs.
Intuition Check
Do not confuse anhedral with an upward wing angle. Anhedral means the wing or tail surface slopes downward from the aircraft body toward the tip.
Example Sentence 1
The C-5 Galaxy's high-mounted wings have a noticeable anhedral to offset the extra roll stability that comes from the high-wing design.
Example Sentence 2
In the stability lecture, the instructor explained how anhedral affects the aircraft's response to side gusts.