ballistic
Americanadjective
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of or relating to ballistics.
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having its motion determined or describable by the laws of exterior ballistics.
idioms
adjective
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of or relating to ballistics
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denoting or relating to the flight of projectiles after power has been cut off, moving under their own momentum and the external forces of gravity and air resistance
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(of a measurement or measuring instrument) depending on a brief impulse or current that causes a movement related to the quantity to be measured
a ballistic pendulum
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informal to become enraged or frenziedly violent
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(of materials) strong enough to resist damage by projectile weapons
ballistic nylon
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of ballistic
First recorded in 1765–75; ballist(a) + -ic
Explanation
The adjective ballistic describes the flight of an object through space. It usually applies to projectiles like bullets or rockets that are fired from weapons. If you’re in the path of a ballistic missile, get out of the way! A ballistic missile is guided only when it’s first launched. After that its flight is subject to the law of gravity. The word comes from a Roman weapon called a ballista, which chucked rocks into the air, whose name comes from the Greek for "throw." If someone has “gone ballistic,” they're crazy with anger. When you go ballistic, you’re just like an unmanned missile: you fly into a fit of rage and lose control over your feelings or actions.
Vocabulary lists containing ballistic
John F. Kennedy's Address to the American People on the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)
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The Launch of Sputnik 1
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Vocabulary: A Rapper's Delight!
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani told the BBC that the prime minister and other ministers were unhurt when five ballistic missiles hit al-Maashiq Palace, but that many others were injured.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
Other displays included Pukkuksong submarine-launched ballistic missiles, a hypersonic short-range missile and a row of smaller cruise missiles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
The Saudi-led military coalition said a ballistic missile had been intercepted and destroyed.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
On October 3, Pyongyang test-fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile that Kim Yo Jong said employed unspecified artificial intelligence technology and was "capable of changing its flight orbit at a low altitude".
From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026
Like I said, Mom would go ballistic if she knew the stuff Grandmère did sometimes!
From "Auggie & Me" by R. J. Palacio
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
