weapons of mass destruction

British  

plural noun

1.  WMD.  nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons that can cause indiscriminate death or injury on a large scale

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weapons of mass destruction Cultural  

1. Weapons that can produce devastating results when delivered in a single strike. They include nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons.

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One of the great challenges of the twenty-first century will be to constrain the proliferation and use of such weapons, especially by terrorists (see terrorism).

Example Sentences

It also bans nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction on the moon or in Earth’s orbit.

From Salon • Apr. 9, 2026

FBI agents said in court filings that they found classified documents, including some that referenced weapons of mass destruction, the U.S. mission to the United Nations and records related to the U.S. government’s strategic communications.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 16, 2025

The ruling moved authority to judges and away from agency experts, he said, even those in highly technical fields who provide oversight on weapons of mass destruction, cybersecurity and biohazards.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 30, 2024

Some scholars have, however, voiced concern about whether using weapons of mass destruction to signpost humankind’s transformation of the planet would send the wrong kind of message about our time.

From New York Times • Mar. 5, 2024

Those engaged in the development and manufacture of weapons of mass destruction are given salaries, perquisites of power and, where possible, public honors at the highest levels available in their respective societies.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan