nuclear weapon state

or nu·cle·ar-weap·on state

[ noo-klee-er wep-uhn steyt, nyoo-klee-er ]

noun

1. any of the five countries identified by the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons as having created and detonated a nuclear weapon or other nuclear explosive device prior to January 1, 1967: namely, China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. : NWS Compare non-nuclear weapon state ( def ).

Pronunciation Note

See nuclear ( def ).

Word History and Origins

Origin of nuclear weapon state¹

First recorded in 1960–65