missile

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

|Updated on: 14 Jul 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

Eight months, no nuclear testing, no missiles, no anything.

— salvador rizzo, Washington Post, "Anatomy of a Trump rally: 76 percent of claims are false, misleading or lacking evidence," 10 July 2018
The Poseidon can track ships and submarines across vast areas of ocean, deploying missiles, depth charges and torpedoes from a rotary launcher to sink them if necessary.

— rob taylor, WSJ, "New Zealand Buys Boeing Surveillance Jets to Counter Chinese Buildup," 9 July 2018
That treaty focuses on longer-range missiles, launchers, and bombers.

— alex ward, Vox, "The most important part of the Trump-Putin summit no one is talking about," 5 July 2018
Fireworks are essentially low-tech missiles that are shot into the air with one charge, and then lit at their apex by another.

— kevin davenport, idahostatesman, "O say can you see? The science behind the booms and blooms of Independence Day fireworks," 3 July 2018
Recent think tank analyses using satellite imagery suggest that Pyongyang may even be expanding some facilities linked to its missile and nuclear programs.

— deb riechmann, The Seattle Times, "Experts see risks in US plan to dismantle NKorea’s nukes," 2 July 2018
For now, Kim is likely to remain restrained about further nuclear and ballistic-missile testing.

— eli stokols, latimes.com, "As Trump declares summit a success, Pompeo begins the hard part — negotiating the details of a nuclear deal," 13 June 2018
Compared to modern nuclear missiles, which are far more powerful and complex, constructing a crude gun-type nuke is fairly straightforward.

— Daily Intelligencer, "This Is What a Nuclear Bomb Looks Like," 12 June 2018
The museum offers free admission and parking, and features more than 360 aerospace vehicles and missiles, and thousands of artifacts displayed in more than 19 acres of indoor exhibit space.

— plain dealer staff, cleveland.com, "Restored B-17 bomber Memphis Belle debuts Thursday at Air Force museum in Dayton," 13 May 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.