missile

adjective mis·sile \ ˈmi-səl , chiefly British -ˌsīl \

Updated on: 22 Apr 2018

Definition of missile

1 : capable of being thrown or projected to strike a distant object

2 : adapted for throwing or hurling missiles

Recent Examples of missile from the Web

Missile launches and nuclear tests are banned by the U.N. Security Council, but North Korea has paid no attention to its resolutions.

— the washington post, OregonLive.com, "Trump: 'All options are on the table' after North Korea missile launch," 29 Aug. 2017
Missile launches and nuclear tests are banned by the U.N. Security Council, but North Korea has paid no attention to its resolutions.

— john wagner, Washington Post, "Trump: ‘All options are on the table’ after North Korea launched missile over Japan," 29 Aug. 2017
Missile experts say the North’s shift to solids came as a surprise.

— david e. sanger and william j. broad, New York Times, "North Korean Tests Add Urgency for U.S. to Fix Defense Flaws," 29 May 2017
Missile experts haven't identified the four intermediate-range missiles that landed on Monday off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula, about 620 miles from its...

— jonathan cheng, WSJ, "North Korea Missile Test Stirs ICBM Fears," 7 Mar. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'missile.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of missile

Latin missilis, from mittere to throw, send

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1610

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

missile

noun

Definition of missile

: an object (such as a weapon) thrown or projected usually so as to strike something at a distance

stones, artillery shells, bullets, and rockets are missiles

: such as

a : guided missile

b : ballistic missile

See missile defined for English-language learners

See missile defined for kids

Recent Examples of missile from the Web

The first time Trump hosted Abe at Mar-a-Lago, North Korea conducted its first missile test of Trump’s administration, and the two delivered a joint statement denouncing the launch.

— BostonGlobe.com, "Trump says US and N. Korea talking at ‘extremely high levels’," 17 Apr. 2018
When Trump hosted Abe at his private Mar-a-Lago club just weeks after his inauguration, North Korea launched its first missile test of Trump's administration, and the two delivered a joint statement denouncing the launch.

— jill colvin and matthew pennington, chicagotribune.com, "Trump to host Japan's Abe amid strain over North Korea, tariffs," 17 Apr. 2018
Rodríguez called the United States a bellicose, racist country that had launched illegitimate wars around the world, including Friday’s missile attack on Syria.

— jim wyss, miamiherald, "Washington and Cuba butt heads over Venezuela at heated Americas summit | Miami Herald," 14 Apr. 2018
Two congressional representatives from Maryland reacted via Twitter to the missile attack launched by the U.S. and its allies against Syria on Friday evening.

— jim joyner, baltimoresun.com, "Maryland representatives Cummings, Harris weigh in on U.S. missile attack in Syria," 14 Apr. 2018
The rogue nation's abrupt diplomatic outreach in recent months has brought a temporary lull to tensions sparked by its nuclear weapons and missile tests last year that resulted in Kim and Trump exchanging crude insults and threats of war.

— nicole darrah, Fox News, "Kim Jong Un willing to discuss getting rid of North Korea's nukes, US says," 8 Apr. 2018
These have come from Chinese rockets, North Korean missile launches, and some of SpaceX's other, more conventional Falcon 9 launches.

— eric berger, Ars Technica, "SpaceX launch last year punched huge, temporary hole in the ionosphere," 22 Mar. 2018
Both of their governments have steadfastly refused to make concessions, but South Korea has claimed Kim was ready to freeze his missile launches and ultimately denuclearize completely if his country's security could be guaranteed.

— tom o'connor, Newsweek, "North Korea's Kim Jong Un Building Monuments to His Favorite Missiles Ahead of Meeting With Trump," 13 Mar. 2018
That deal began to come a’cropper in 1998, when North Korea fired off a missile test.

— charles p. pierce, Esquire, "I'll Believe It When I See It," 9 Mar. 2018

First Known Use of missile

circa 1656

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Military Terms

bivouac, logistics, petard, salient, sally, supernumerary, tactical

MISSILE Defined for English Language Learners

missile

noun

Definition of missile for English Language Learners

: an object that is thrown, shot, or launched as a weapon; especially : a rocket that explodes when it hits a distant target

MISSILE Defined for Kids

missile

noun mis·sile \ ˈmi-səl \

Definition of missile for Students

: an object (as a stone, arrow, bullet, or rocket) that is dropped, thrown, shot, or launched usually so as to strike something at a distance

Word Root of missile

The Latin word mittere, meaning “to send,” and its form missus give us the roots mit and miss. Words from the Latin mittere have something to do with sending. A missile is an object, such as a bullet, arrow, or rocket, that is sent through the air so as to hit a target. To emit is to send forth or give out. To omit, or leave out, is to send away so as to not be included. To permit, or allow, is to send something through without stopping it.