ICBM
Noun: A ballistic missile that is capable of traveling from one continent to another; an intercontinental ballistic missile. It is a long-range weapon system designed to deliver a payload, often a nuclear warhead, over vast distances.
The term "ICBM" is used to describe a specific class of strategic military weaponry. It is almost always used in formal, technical, or geopolitical contexts, such as military discussions, arms control treaties, and news reports on international security.
- The treaty aimed to reduce the number of ICBMs in both nations' arsenals.
- Modern ICBMs are equipped with multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs).
- The development of an ICBM requires advanced technology in propulsion, guidance, and reentry systems.
- As a modifier: "ICBM" is frequently used as an adjective to describe related systems or concepts.
- Example: The country conducted an ICBM test, violating United Nations sanctions.
- Example: ICBM silos are heavily fortified underground launch facilities.
- ICBMs (n.): The standard plural form.
- Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (n.): The full, unabbreviated form of "ICBM."
- Ballistic Missile (n.): The broader category of missiles to which ICBMs belong. Not all ballistic missiles are intercontinental.
- SLBM (n.): Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile. A related type of strategic missile launched from submarines.
- Strategic missile
- Long-range ballistic missile
The core meaning of "ICBM" is defined by its range (intercontinental) and its flight trajectory (ballistic). It is distinct from shorter-range ballistic missiles (e.g., theater ballistic missiles) and from cruise missiles, which use sustained flight within the atmosphere.
- a ballistic missile that is capable of traveling from one continent to another