intercontinental ballistic missile

noun

1. any supersonic missile that has a range of at least 3500 nautical miles (6,500 km) and follows a ballistic trajectory after a powered, guided launching. : ICBM, I.C.B.M.

intercontinental ballistic missile

/ ˌɪntəˌkɒntɪˈnɛntəl /

noun

1. a missile that follows a ballistic trajectory and has the range to carry a nuclear bomb over 5500 km ICBM

intercontinental ballistic missile

1. A missile with a long range (five thousand miles or more) that carries nuclear warheads and can be launched from the ground or from submarines. ( See also MIRV .)

Word History and Origins

Origin of intercontinental ballistic missile¹

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

Not only are intercontinental ballistic missiles redundant, but they are prone to a high risk of accidental use.…They do not make us any safer.

From Salon

The country is barred by United Nations Security Council resolutions from launching such rockets because they use the same technology needed to build intercontinental ballistic missiles.

From New York Times

President Biden on Monday ordered a company with Chinese origins to shut down and sell the Wyoming cryptocurrency mine it built a mile from an Air Force base that controls nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missiles.

From New York Times

Tactical nuclear weapons, as the term implies, are far smaller and less powerful than strategic nuclear armaments such as intercontinental ballistic missiles carrying nuclear payloads that could lay waste to large population centers.

From Los Angeles Times

Unlike nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles that can destroy entire cities, tactical nuclear weapons for use against troops on the battlefield are less powerful and can have a yield as small as about 1 kiloton.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• guided missile