launch vehicle

noun

: a rocket used to launch a satellite or spacecraft

Examples of launch vehicle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Amazon also pointed to manufacturing disruptions, the failure and grounding of new launch vehicles and limitations on spaceport capacity. Annie Palmer, CNBC, 31 Jan. 2026 The 141-foot (43-meter) tall, carbon composite launch vehicle will be capable of delivering up to 28,700 pounds (13,000 kilograms) to low Earth orbit, compared to Falcon 9's 50,265 pounds (22,800 kilograms). Josh Dinner, Space.com, 28 Jan. 2026 Standing at more than 400 feet tall when fully stacked, Starship is regarded as the largest and most powerful launch vehicle in the world. Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 23 Jan. 2026 The French startup developed Baguette-One, a launch vehicle set to become the first rocket launched from France. Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 22 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for launch vehicle

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1960, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of launch vehicle was circa 1960

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Cite this Entry

“Launch vehicle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/launch%20vehicle. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.

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