missile

American  

[mis-uhl, -ahyl] / ˈmɪs əl, -aɪl /

noun

missiles plural

1. an object or weapon for throwing, hurling, or shooting, as a stone, bullet, or arrow.

2. guided missile.

3. ballistic missile.

---

adjective

1. capable of being thrown, hurled, or shot, as from the hand or a gun.

2. used or designed for discharging missiles.

missile British  

/ ˈmɪsaɪl /

noun

1. any object or weapon that is thrown at a target or shot from an engine, gun, etc

2. 1. a rocket-propelled weapon that flies either in a fixed trajectory (ballistic missile) or in a trajectory that can be controlled during flight (guided missile)

   2. ( as modifier )

      a missile carrier

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• missiles
  plural

Etymology

Origin of missile

1600–10; < Latin, neuter of missilis, equivalent to miss ( us ) (past participle of mittere to send, throw) + -ilis -ile

Explanation

A missile is an object that can be projected toward a target. Examples include a spitball shot through a straw, a poison-tipped arrow sent via bow, or a self-propelled heat-seeking rocket, designed to take out targets at long range. When you learn about the Cuban Missile Crisis in history, the missiles in question were guided rockets loaded with nuclear warheads, supplied to the Cubans by the Soviet Union. A missile defense strategy is one where you send up defensive missile to blow up your enemy's offensive ones before they can reach you.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

missile missiles

Tusk said Polish air defence would have shot down the missile if it had deviated from its trajectory and headed toward populated areas.

From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026

A number of Russian drones and one unarmed Russian missile have landed in Poland since Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine began in February 2022.

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026

"From the analysis of most of the traces, the recovered fragments point to a Russian Kh-101 missile," Prime Minister Donald Tusk told a news conference near the crater.

From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026

The group makes combat vehicles, ammunition, missile launchers and artillery systems, including the M777 howitzer that Ukraine has employed widely in its fight against Russia.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026

Because before the little fish can get back underwater, a huge tuna comes up behind them and launches itself into the air like a fish-seeking missile.

From "The Young Man and the Sea" by Rodman Philbrick

As the threat from Iranian missiles and drones grew, the Pentagon has deployed Patriot antimissile batteries to Kuwait to protect the U.S. bases and sold the system to the Kuwaitis.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

The latest is a Reuters report that Iran expects to receive 400 Chinese-made shoulder-fired missiles.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026

Ukraine's air force said it managed to intercept 55 missiles and 265 drones launched by Moscow.

From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026

"The protection of people's lives depends directly on their willingness, or lack of willingness, to provide air defence missiles," he wrote on X on Wednesday.

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026

There was no mention of the demand in Khrushchev’s second letter, the removal of American missiles from Turkey.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

• ammunition
• bomb
• bullet
• projectile
• rocket