balance of terror

noun

Definition of balance of terror

: a situation in which the threat of mutual annihilation by nations with the capability to wage nuclear war serves as a deterrent against military aggression and the use of nuclear weapons Change, unfamiliarity, and the disconcerting potentialities of technology make balance of terror constantly precarious. —Henry T. Nash, Nuclear Weapons and International Behavior, 1975

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Dictionary Entries near balance of terror

balance of nature

balance of payments

balance of power

balance of terror

balance of trade

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The first known use of balance of terror was in 1955

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