Minuteman

American  

[min-it-man] / ˈmɪn ɪtˌmæn /

noun

Minutemen plural

1. (sometimes lowercase) a member of a group of American militiamen just before and during the Revolutionary War who held themselves in readiness for instant military service.

2. a U.S. intercontinental ballistic missile with three stages, powered by solid-propellant rocket engines.

3. a member of a small, secret, ultraconservative organization formed into armed groups for the declared purpose of conducting guerrilla warfare against a communist invasion of the U.S.

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Minuteman British  

/ ˈmɪnɪtˌmæn /

noun

1. (sometimes not capital) (in the War of American Independence) a colonial militiaman who promised to be ready to fight at one minute's notice

2. a US three-stage intercontinental ballistic missile

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• Minutemen
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Minuteman

An Americanism dating back to 1765–75; minute ¹ + man

Example Sentences

Ed Bouquillon noticed more students from affluent families at Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical High School in upscale Lexington as parents’ attitudes shifted.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 28, 2025

And now it turns out, the Air Force, which has been running the program, says the Minuteman can be tweaked to last until 2050—for another quarter-century.

From Slate • Sep. 16, 2025

Until full capability of the Sentinel missiles is achieved in the mid-2030s, the Air Force says it is committed to ensuring Minuteman III remains a viable deterrent.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 18, 2025

Meanwhile, the current dispute in Congress about ICBMs has focused on whether it would be cheaper to build the cost-overrunning Sentinel system or upgrade the existing Minuteman III missiles.

From Salon • Oct. 6, 2024

A Minuteman of 1776 One evening in the autumn of 1775, Clark and his companions were sitting round their camp fire in the wilderness.

From Hero Stories from American History For Elementary Schools by Blaisdell, Albert F.