Phrase guide

intercontinental ballistic missile

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A class of long-range missiles associated especially with carrying nuclear warheads.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: aerospace, astronautics, business, engineering, government, military, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, politics, war

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ICBM, IBM

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: ballistic missile, missile, weapon

2

noun

Meaning 2

a ballistic missile that is capable of traveling from one continent to another

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ICBM

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: ballistic missile

Narrower terms: Minuteman

History

Etymology

From intercontinental + ballistic missile.

Across languages

Translations

18 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Belarusian: междуконтинентална балистична ракета (mježdukóntinjentalna balistična rakjeta) — a class of long-range missiles associated especially with carrying nuclear warheads (ICBM)
  • Chinese Mandarin: 洲際彈道導彈 /洲际弹道导弹 (zhōujì dàndào dǎodàn) — a class of long-range missiles associated especially with carrying nuclear warheads (ICBM)
  • Finnish: mannertenvälinen ballistinen ohjus — a class of long-range missiles associated especially with carrying nuclear warheads (ICBM)
  • French: missile balistique intercontinental — a class of long-range missiles associated especially with carrying nuclear warheads (ICBM)
  • Georgian: საკონტინენტთაშორისო ბალისტიკური რაკეტა (saḳonṭinenṭtašoriso balisṭiḳuri raḳeṭa) — a class of long-range missiles associated especially with carrying nuclear warheads (ICBM)
  • German: Interkontinentalrakete — a class of long-range missiles associated especially with carrying nuclear warheads (ICBM)
  • German: Langstreckenrakete — a class of long-range missiles associated especially with carrying nuclear warheads (ICBM)
  • Irish: diúracán balaistíoch idirilchríochach — a class of long-range missiles associated especially with carrying nuclear warheads (ICBM)
  • Japanese: 大陸間弾道ミサイル (tairiku kan dandō misairu) — a class of long-range missiles associated especially with carrying nuclear warheads (ICBM)
  • Korean: 대륙 간 탄도 유도탄 (daeryuk gan tando yudotan) — a class of long-range missiles associated especially with carrying nuclear warheads (ICBM)
  • Korean: 대륙 간 탄도(大陸間彈道) 미사일 (daeryuk gan tando misail) — a class of long-range missiles associated especially with carrying nuclear warheads (ICBM)
  • Mongolian: тив хоорондох баллистик пуужин (tiv xoorondox ballistik puužin) — a class of long-range missiles associated especially with carrying nuclear warheads (ICBM)
  • Polish: międzykontynentalny pocisk balistyczny — a class of long-range missiles associated especially with carrying nuclear warheads (ICBM)
  • Russian: межконтинента́льная баллисти́ческая раке́та (mežkontinentálʹnaja ballistíčeskaja rakéta) — a class of long-range missiles associated especially with carrying nuclear warheads (ICBM)
  • Russian: МБР (MBR) — a class of long-range missiles associated especially with carrying nuclear warheads (ICBM)
  • Ukrainian: міжконтинента́льна балісти́чна раке́та (mižkontynentálʹna balistýčna rakéta) — a class of long-range missiles associated especially with carrying nuclear warheads (ICBM)
  • Vietnamese: tên lửa liên lục địa — a class of long-range missiles associated especially with carrying nuclear warheads (ICBM)
  • Yiddish: אינטערקאָנטינענטאַל־ראַקעט (interkontinental-raket) — a class of long-range missiles associated especially with carrying nuclear warheads (ICBM)