intercontinental ballistic missile

American  

noun

1. any supersonic missile that has a range of at least 3500 nautical miles (6,500 km) and follows a ballistic trajectory after a powered, guided launching. ICBM, I.C.B.M.

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intercontinental ballistic missile British  

/ ˌɪntəˌkɒntɪˈnɛntəl /

noun

1. ICBM. a missile that follows a ballistic trajectory and has the range to carry a nuclear bomb over 5500 km

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intercontinental ballistic missile Cultural  

1. A missile with a long range (five thousand miles or more) that carries nuclear warheads and can be launched from the ground or from submarines. (See also MIRV.)

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Etymology

Origin of intercontinental ballistic missile

First recorded in 1955–60

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

intercontinental ballistic missile

China's capacity to strike Australia would grow over the next decade as "the DF-27 intermediate-range ballistic missile, and potentially a conventionally armed intercontinental ballistic missile, grow in service numbers", it said.

From Barron's ● Jun. 14, 2026

Strolling alongside her father in front of a towering intercontinental ballistic missile, she wore black trousers and a white padded jacket with her long hair tied back.

From BBC ● May 5, 2026

Meanwhile some senior administration officials have said in recent days that the U.S. could give Iran no space to build an intercontinental ballistic missile or revive its nuclear work.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 2, 2026

Troubles, however, are also quaking on the offensive side of America’s nuclear-weapons enterprise—specifically, the program to build a new land-based intercontinental ballistic missile, the Sentinel, to replace the 400 current ICBMs, known as Minuteman IIIs.

From Slate ● Sep. 16, 2025

Each mission presented myriad pathways to disaster, starting with the notoriously temperamental Atlas rocket, a ninety-five-foot-high, 3.5-million-horsepower intercontinental ballistic missile that had been modified to propel the Mercury capsule into orbit.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly

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Related Words

• guided missile

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