A sans serif typeface designed by Monotype as a clone of Helvetica.
"The designer chose Arial because it is a sans serif typeface designed by Monotype as a close visual clone of Helvetica."
The word arial comes from the adjective aerial, but it was specifically coined as a brand name by the typefoundry Monotype to describe their font style. While its root means "of or in the air," this version traveled into English through commercial trademarking rather than direct descriptive use.