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

Two Iranian ships have been sailing from China with tons of sodium perchlorate, a main ingredient for producing solid propellant for ballistic missiles, The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this year.

From The Wall Street Journal

Yet it remains reliant on some U.S. systems, including the Patriot systems it uses to counter ballistic missiles.

From The Wall Street Journal

"For the first time, we are gaining the capability for early warning and defence against long-range ballistic missiles for our population and infrastructure," said Defence Minister Boris Pistorius.

From Barron's

Unconfirmed reports say a ballistic missile was used in the strike, which took place on Monday morning.

From BBC

The First Offset, went the argument, had been the use of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles to counterbalance the Soviet advantage in men and tanks in the early Cold War.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• intercontinental ballistic missile
• surface-to-air missile