nuclear weapon

American  

[noo-klee-er wep-uhn, nyoo-] / ˈnu kli ər ˈwɛp ən, ˈnju- /

noun

nuclear weapons plural

1. an explosive device whose destructive potential derives from the release of energy that accompanies the splitting or combining of atomic nuclei.

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nuclear weapon Scientific  

1. A weapon whose destructive power comes from nuclear energy; an atomic bomb or a hydrogen bomb.

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nuclear weapon Cultural  

1. Any weapon that employs a nuclear reaction for its explosive power. Nuclear weapons include ballistic missiles, bombs (see atomic bomb (see also atomic bomb) and hydrogen bomb), artillery rounds, and mines.

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Pronunciation

See nuclear ( def. ).

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• nuclear weapons
  plural

Etymology

Origin of nuclear weapon

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

He hailed the deal made with the Islamic republic, saying "the main thing is Iran will not have a nuclear weapon."

From Barron's • Jun. 15, 2026

Most recently, he has emphasized that the sole goal is to keep Iran from building a nuclear weapon.

From Slate • Jun. 15, 2026

So in that regard, I think the focus on making sure that Iran doesn’t get a nuclear weapon is correct.

From Salon • Jun. 15, 2026

It would include an Iranian commitment to refrain from developing or procuring a nuclear weapon and to destroy its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026

US officials had known that the Soviets would eventually be able to build a nuclear weapon, but the nation's top intelligence experts estimated that the Soviets' nuclear capability was still four years away.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau

Related Words

• atomic bomb
• hydrogen bomb
• neutron bomb