hypersonic

adjective

hy·​per·​son·​ic ˌhī-pər-ˈsä-nik How to pronounce hypersonic (audio)
1
: of or relating to speed five or more times that of sound in air compare sonic
2
: moving, capable of moving, or utilizing air currents that move at hypersonic speed
hypersonic wind tunnel
hypersonically adverb

Examples of hypersonic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Budget documents place the average cost per missile at about $384,000, a relatively low figure for hypersonic-class weapons. Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 23 Apr. 2026 Payloads included two satellites for the Missile Defense Agency to track hypersonic missiles and four more satellites for the Tranche 0 constellation for the Space Development Agency. Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Apr. 2026 What’s more, through long-term investments and acquisitions, Rocket Lab now builds satellites, spacecraft components like solar panels, reaction wheels, and star trackers, separation systems, and a hypersonic test vehicle. Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 17 Apr. 2026 The company’s goal is to eventually develop a hypersonic plane reaching Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound, and Southern California has the engineering talent base to help achieve that, executives said. Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hypersonic

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1946, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hypersonic was in 1946

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Cite this Entry

“Hypersonic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hypersonic. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.

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