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

Example Sentences

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

That includes lower-surface cruise missiles and intercontinental ballistic missiles that fire up and over the roughly 35,000 feet that commercial flights typically operate at.

From The Wall Street Journal

Iran would need to master significant technological challenges before it could field an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of striking the U.S. homeland, according to U.S. intelligence estimates and experts outside government.

From The Wall Street Journal

Officials also confirmed that an exchange regarding intercontinental ballistic missiles had taken place between Anthropic and the Pentagon, underscoring the sensitivity of the applications at the heart of the dispute.

From Barron's

“I won’t speculate how far away they are, but they are certainly trying to achieve intercontinental ballistic missiles,” Secretary of State Rubio told reporters Wednesday.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• guided missile