ballistic missile

American  

noun

Rocketry.

1. any missile that, after being launched and possibly guided during takeoff, travels unpowered in a ballistic trajectory.

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ballistic missile British  

noun

1. a missile that has no wings or fins and that follows a ballistic trajectory when its propulsive power is discontinued

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Etymology

Origin of ballistic missile

First recorded in 1950–55

Compare meaning

How does ballistic-missile compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• cruise missile vs. ballistic missile

Example Sentences

The United States produces only around 600 per year, and several can be needed to down a single ballistic missile.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

An Iranian ballistic missile struck the main Ras Laffan gas complex, knocking out an estimated 17% of global LNG supply.

From BBC • May 6, 2026

Strolling alongside her father in front of a towering intercontinental ballistic missile, she wore black trousers and a white padded jacket with her long hair tied back.

From BBC • May 5, 2026

The rules allowed some wriggle room for Japan to ship weapons and components to key partners under joint-development programs deemed critical to Japan’s security, such as ballistic missile defense systems developed with the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

It put the world on notice that North Korea was moving ever closer to having the ability to strike the continental United States with a nuclear-armed ballistic missile.

From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden

Related Words

• intercontinental ballistic missile
• surface-to-air missile