Plain English Meaning

A wing that angles backward from where it meets the fuselage out to the tips, instead of sticking straight out to the sides.

Full Definition

A wing whose leading edge angles rearward from the wing root toward the wingtip, so the tips are positioned aft of the point where the wing joins the fuselage. Sweepback delays the onset of compressibility effects at high subsonic speeds and improves directional stability, at the cost of reduced low-speed lift and a tendency for the wingtips to stall before the wing root.

Context Anchor

Seen when discussing , high-speed airplanes, , and how wing shape affects .