guided missile

noun

An unmanned, self-propelled vehicle that travels through the air to deliver a warhead to a predetermined point, keeping itself on course by making corrections via its control surfaces.

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Meanings

nounguided missile (plural guided missiles)

plural guided missiles

  1. An unmanned, self-propelled vehicle that travels through the air to deliver a warhead to a predetermined point, keeping itself on course by making corrections via its control surfaces.

    Lawrence was a rocket man, working on guided missiles.

    1957, Sydney J. Bounds, The Robot Brains, London: Digit Books, page 35

Origin

From guided + missile.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 導彈 /导弹, 導向飛彈 /导向飞弹
  • 導彈 /导弹 (dǎodàn)unmanned, self-propelled vehicle that travels through the air
  • 導向飛彈 /导向飞弹 (dǎoxiàng fēidàn)unmanned, self-propelled vehicle that travels through the air
Estonian juhitav rakett
  • juhitav rakettunmanned, self-propelled vehicle that travels through the air
Finnish ohjus
  • ohjusunmanned, self-propelled vehicle that travels through the air
French missile guidé
  • missile guidéunmanned, self-propelled vehicle that travels through the air
German Lenkflugkörper
  • Lenkflugkörperunmanned, self-propelled vehicle that travels through the air
Hungarian irányított rakéta
  • irányított rakétaunmanned, self-propelled vehicle that travels through the air
Indonesian peluru kendali, rudal berpemandu
  • peluru kendaliunmanned, self-propelled vehicle that travels through the air
  • rudal berpemanduunmanned, self-propelled vehicle that travels through the air
Polish pocisk kierowany
  • pocisk kierowanyunmanned, self-propelled vehicle that travels through the air
Romanian rachetă ghidată, rachetă dirijată
  • rachetă ghidatăunmanned, self-propelled vehicle that travels through the air
  • rachetă dirijatăunmanned, self-propelled vehicle that travels through the air
Russian управля́емая раке́та
  • управля́емая раке́та (upravljájemaja rakéta)unmanned, self-propelled vehicle that travels through the air
Swedish styrd missil, robot
  • styrd missilunmanned, self-propelled vehicle that travels through the air
  • robotunmanned, self-propelled vehicle that travels through the air
Ukrainian керо́вана раке́та
  • керо́вана раке́та (keróvana rakéta)unmanned, self-propelled vehicle that travels through the air
Cite this entry
APA

guided missile. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/guided%20missile

MLA

“guided missile.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/guided%20missile. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “guided missile,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/guided%20missile.

Source: guided missile on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.