intercontinental

American  

[in-ter-kon-tn-en-tl] / ˌɪn tərˌkɒn tnˈɛn tl /

adjective

1. between or among continents; involving two or more continents.

   intercontinental trade.

2. traveling or capable of traveling between continents.

   intercontinental airplanes.

---

intercontinental British  

/ ˌɪntəˌkɒntɪˈnɛntəl /

adjective

1. relating to travel, commerce, relations, etc, between continents

---

Etymology

Origin of intercontinental

First recorded in 1850–55; inter- + continental

Example Sentences

It rounded off a marathon qualification process that began in September 2023 and spanned six confederations before culminating in the high‑stakes Uefa and intercontinental play‑offs on 31 March.

From BBC

Defence experts believe North Korea is planning to use its solid-fuel rocket engines for launching intercontinental ballistic missiles.

From Barron's

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

Related Words

• foreign
• global
• universal