nuclear weapon state

American  

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

Or nuclear-weapon state

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

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Pronunciation

See nuclear ( def. ).

Etymology

Origin of nuclear weapon state

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

The impact would be tremendous, because it would be an example of the court finding a very powerful state, a nuclear weapon state, responsible for what many perceive to be the most serious crime under international law.

From Slate

Security Council sanctions banning any nuclear testing, saying that the North “cannot and will never have the status of a nuclear weapon state,” Gonzato said.

From Seattle Times

“It is absolutely absurd to dare compare the D.P.R.K., a nuclear weapon state, to Libya, which had been at the initial state of nuclear development,” the North Korean statement said, using the initials for the country’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

From New York Times

“The way it’s usually conveyed is that the North Koreans say, ‘At some point, the U.S. and North Korea should sit down, one nuclear weapon state with another, and discuss their relations with each other.’”

From The Wall Street Journal

America should never “accept” North Korea as a nuclear weapon state.

From Seattle Times