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

See Examples For:

ballistic missile

His young daughter, Kim Ju Ae, has also worn a Dior padded jacket to an intercontinental ballistic missile launch.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

The United States conducted 67 nuclear detonations between 1946 and 1958 in the Marshall Islands, and continues to conduct ballistic missile tests there under a defence compact.

From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026

In September 2024, China carried out its first intercontinental ballistic missile test in decades, launching a dummy warhead from Hainan island in southern China into waters near French Polynesia in the Pacific Ocean.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026

The images show a variety of targets hit from ammunition storage areas to ballistic missile infrastructure, nuclear and surface-to-air missile sites, and naval bases, according to military intelligence company Janes.

From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026

That year, its research in lightweight thermonuclear bombs came together with the navy’s urgent desire for a nuclear ballistic missile that could be launched from a forthcoming class of submarines with unprecedented range.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Related Words

• intercontinental ballistic missile
• surface-to-air missile