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 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

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

New Zealand's Defence Force privately warned that Beijing's naval forays and ballistic missile tests would become a "persistent" feature of the Pacific, according to an internal document obtained by AFP last month.

From Barron's • Jul. 9, 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

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