Meanings
plural nuclear submarines
- A submarine powered by a nuclear reactor.
Nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers are powered by onboard nuclear reactors. Atoms in the nuclear reactor split, which releases energy as heat.
“Nuclear Submarines and Aircraft Carriers”, in US EPA, archived from the original on 16 Mar 20261 more example
The United States’ recent nuclear submarine deal with South Korea is a tightrope act for a different reason. Lost in the noise about nuclear submarines, the Trump administration has agreed to let South Korea enrich uranium and reprocess commercial nuclear spent fuel.
2025 December 12, Sharon Squassoni, “How nuclear submarines could pave the way for nuclear weapons in South Korea”, in Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, archived from the original on 13 Feb 2026
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna submarine that is propelled by nuclear power
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Arabic غَوَّاصَة نَوَوِيَّة
- غَوَّاصَة نَوَوِيَّة (ḡawwāṣa nawawiyya)submarine powered by a nuclear reactor
Bulgarian ядрена подводница
- ядрена подводница (jadrena podvodnica)submarine powered by a nuclear reactor
Catalan submarí nuclear
- submarí nuclearsubmarine powered by a nuclear reactor
Chinese Mandarin 核子動力潛艇 /核子动力潜艇, 核動力潛艇 /核动力潜艇
- 核子動力潛艇 /核子动力潜艇 (hézǐ dònglì qiántǐng)submarine powered by a nuclear reactor
- 核動力潛艇 /核动力潜艇 (hédònglì qiántǐng)submarine powered by a nuclear reactor
Dutch kernonderzeeër, kernonderzeeboot
- kernonderzeeërsubmarine powered by a nuclear reactor
- kernonderzeebootsubmarine powered by a nuclear reactor
Estonian aatomiallveelaev, tuumaallveelaev
- aatomiallveelaevsubmarine powered by a nuclear reactor
- tuumaallveelaevsubmarine powered by a nuclear reactor
Finnish ydinsukellusvene
- ydinsukellusvenesubmarine powered by a nuclear reactor
French sous-marin nucléaire
- sous-marin nucléairesubmarine powered by a nuclear reactor
German Atom-U-Boot, Atom-Unterseeboot
- Atom-U-Bootsubmarine powered by a nuclear reactor
- Atom-Unterseebootsubmarine powered by a nuclear reactor
- Atomunterseebootsubmarine powered by a nuclear reactor
Icelandic kjarnorkukafbátur
- kjarnorkukafbátursubmarine powered by a nuclear reactor
Italian sottomarino nucleare
- sottomarino nuclearesubmarine powered by a nuclear reactor
Japanese 原子力潜水艦
- 原子力潜水艦 (genshiryoku sensuikan)submarine powered by a nuclear reactor
Korean 원자력 잠수함, 핵추진 잠수함
- 원자력 잠수함 (wonjaryeok jamsuham)submarine powered by a nuclear reactor
- 핵추진 잠수함 (haekchujin jamsuham)submarine powered by a nuclear reactor
- 핵잠수함 (haekjamsuham)submarine powered by a nuclear reactor
Latin atomica navis subaquanea
- atomica navis subaquaneasubmarine powered by a nuclear reactor
Portuguese submarino nuclear
- submarino nuclearsubmarine powered by a nuclear reactor
Russian а́томная подво́дная ло́дка
- а́томная подво́дная ло́дка (átomnaja podvódnaja lódka)submarine powered by a nuclear reactor
Spanish submarino nuclear
- submarino nuclearsubmarine powered by a nuclear reactor
Ukrainian атомний підводний човен
- атомний підводний човен (atomnyj pidvodnyj čoven)submarine powered by a nuclear reactor
Cite this entry
nuclear submarine. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nuclear%20submarine
“nuclear submarine.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nuclear%20submarine. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “nuclear submarine,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nuclear%20submarine.
Source: nuclear submarine on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.