ballistic

adjective

bal·​lis·​tic bə-ˈli-stik How to pronounce ballistic (audio)
1
: extremely and usually suddenly excited, upset, or angry : wild
He went ballistic when he saw the dent in his car.
and the crowd goes ballistic
2
: of or relating to the science of the motion of projectiles in flight
3
exercise : being or characterized by repeated bouncing
ballistic stretching
4
physics, of an object in motion : behaving like a projectile
But the Bell Labs switch uses such a low current that the few ballistic electrons are a distance of a micrometer or more apart …Robert Pool
5
of a material : capable of resisting or stopping bullets or other projectiles
ballistic glass
ballistic nylon
… engineered specifically to be worn under ballistic vests and shirts.K. M. Reese
ballistically adverb

Examples of ballistic in a Sentence

she went ballistic when she discovered her brother reading her e-mail
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Investigators linked Perkins to the crime through surveillance, text messages, and ballistic evidence. Kc Baker, People.com, 11 Sep. 2025 The type of air defenses NATO would use to intercept a large-scale drone attack is different from how the alliance would take out incoming ballistic or cruise missiles. Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025 The Jetson One is designed with fly-by-wire technology and joystick controls for intuitive flight, multiple engines for redundancy, and a ballistic parachute as a safety feature. Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 10 Sep. 2025 Supporters, including the Sacramento Police Department, argue the system helps officers reach victims faster, collect ballistic evidence and identify witnesses. Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 10 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ballistic

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin ballisticus "relating to the motion of projectiles in flight," from Latin ballista ballista + New Latin -icus -ic entry 1

Note: The Latin word was apparently introduced by the French priest and polymath Marin Mersenne (1588-1648) in Ballistica et acontismologia, a section (with separate title page) of his Cogitata physico-mathematica (Paris, 1644).

First Known Use

1764, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of ballistic was in 1764

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Cite this Entry

“Ballistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ballistic. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

ballistic

adjective
bal·​lis·​tic bə-ˈlis-tik How to pronounce ballistic (audio)
: of or relating to ballistics

More from Merriam-Webster on ballistic

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