intercontinental

adjective

in·​ter·​con·​ti·​nen·​tal ˌin-tər-ˌkän-tə-ˈnen-tᵊl 

1

: extending among continents or carried on between continents

2

: capable of traveling between continents

intercontinental ballistic missile

Examples of intercontinental in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Like, say, weapons to shoot down intercontinental ballistic missiles, as envisioned for President Trump’s Golden Dome. —Jeremy Bogaisky, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025

The Chinese People's Liberation Army Rocket Force launches an intercontinental ballistic missile into international waters in the Pacific Ocean on September 25, 2024. —Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Aug. 2025

In 1991: President George H.W. Bush and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev signed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or START I, to reduce and limit the stockpiling of strategic nuclear weapons, intercontinental ballistic missiles and heavy bombers. —Lorenzino Estrada, AZCentral.com, 1 Aug. 2025

It's been half a decade since the Air Force awarded Northrop Grumman a sole-source contract to develop a next-generation intercontinental ballistic missile, known as the LGM-35 Sentinel. —Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 1 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1855, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for intercontinental

• interdepartmental
• intergovernmental
• intragovernmental
• nonexperimental
• accidental
• compartmental
• continental
• detrimental
• elemental
• fundamental
• governmental
• incidental

Kids Definition

intercontinental

adjective

in·​ter·​con·​ti·​nen·​tal ˌint-ər-ˌkänt-ᵊn-ˈent-ᵊl 

1

: extending among or carried on between continents

intercontinental trade

2

: capable of traveling from one continent to another

an intercontinental ballistic missile