UAP

UAP (plural UAP or UAPs)

2. Initialism of unidentified anomalous phenomenon. The umbrella category for all environments.

   Hypernym: phenomenon

   2. Initialism of unidentified aerial phenomenon = initialism of unexplained aerial phenomenon.

      Hypernym: phenomenon

      Coordinate terms: TLE (“transient luminous event”) (sky); USO (“unidentified submerged object”) (water)

      Near-synonyms: UFO, unidentified flying object (synonymous in its broad sense)

      • 2012 September 17, Don Lipman, “Red sprites, blue jets, and elves What are these mysterious, elusive phenomena?”, in The Washington Post‎^[1]:

        During World War II (and probably before), high flying pilots were reported to have observed unexplained aerial phenomena (UAP), often now called transient luminous events (TLE’s), particularly in the vicinity of thunderstorms.

      • 2016 May 10, Amy Chozick, “Hillary Clinton Gives U.F.O. Buffs Hope She Will Open the X-Files”, in The New York Times‎^[2], →ISSN:

        “You know, there’s a new name,” Mrs. Clinton said in the March appearance. “It’s unexplained aerial phenomenon,” she said. “U.A.P. That’s the latest nomenclature.”

      • 2017 December 16, Bryan Bender, “The Pentagon’s Secret Search for UFOs”, in Politico Magazine‎^[3], →ISSN:

        The founders say they believe “there is sufficient credible evidence of UAP [unidentified aerial phenomenon] that proves exotic technologies exist that could revolutionize the human experience.”

      • 2019 October 23, M J Banias, “This Silicon Valley Startup Is Dedicated to Detecting UFOs Off the California Coast”, in Vice Magazine‎^[4], →ISSN:

        This is an effort that I believe is rare and timely given current events, such as the apparent increase in UAP incidents through official military channels.

      • 2020, Jordan Culver, Adrianna Rodriguez, “Pentagon declassifies 3 leaked US Navy UFO videos”, in USA Today:

        The spokesman at the time said UAP was preferred over UFO because of the stigma surrounding the latter term.

      • 2020, “To the Stars Academy of Arts & Science Acknowledges the Pentagon's Official Release of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Video Footage”, in Baker City Herald:

        Pentagon officially released three videos of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP).

      • 2023 January 12, “US government logs more than 500 UFO reports with hundreds unexplained”, in The Guardian‎^[5], →ISSN:

        The US military is worried some of the UAPs spotted by military pilots in the past may represent technologies of strategic rivals unknown to US scientists.

4. Initialism of unlicensed assistive personnel (plural) or unlicensed assistive personnel member (singular): workers who are trained to assist with nursing tasks but are not trained or licensed to do everything else that a nurse can do.

   Hypernyms: personnel, persons, people

   Hyponyms: CNA (“certified nursing assistant”), HHA (“home health aide”), PSW (“personal support worker”)

• The broadest sense (sense 1) covers the fact that some UAPs seem to move back and forth effortlessly from the sky to beneath the sea. It is in this sense that USOs are also called underwater UAPs.
• Regarding the aerial sense (sense 1.1), because unidentified flying object and UFO can be (mild) misnomers in some usages (for example, when the nature of the phenomenon is prematurely assumed or is misunderstood), some speakers and writers prefer this term. It is not solely a euphemism, although some use of it includes a euphemistic component.

• APU, AUP, PUA, Pau, UPA, pau, pua