weapon of mass destruction

noun

Any human-made weapon causing indiscriminate large-scale death or destruction, especially a biological weapon, chemical weapon, nuclear weapon or radiological weapon.

Similar
WMDW.M.D.
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Meanings

nounweapon of mass destruction (plural weapons of mass destruction)

plural weapons of mass destruction

  1. Any human-made weapon causing indiscriminate large-scale death or destruction, especially a biological weapon, chemical weapon, nuclear weapon or radiological weapon.

    Synonyms: WMD

Synonyms & antonyms

nounAny human-made weapon causing indiscriminate large-scale death or destruction, especially a biological weapon, chemical weapon, nuclear weapon or radiological weapon.

Similar
WMD

More synonyms by meaning

nouna weapon that kills or injures civilian as well as military personnel (nuclear and chemical and biological weapons)

Similar
WMDW.M.D.
Broader
weaponarmweapon system

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

First attested in 1937 in referring to bombing campaigns during the Spanish Civil War.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic سِلَاح دَمَار شَامِل
  • سِلَاح دَمَار شَامِل (silāḥ damār šāmil)weapon causing large-scale death or destruction
Basque suntsipen handiko arma
  • suntsipen handiko armaweapon causing large-scale death or destruction
Bengali গণবিধ্বংসী অস্ত্র, গণবিধ্বংসী মারণাস্ত্র
  • গণবিধ্বংসী অস্ত্র (gonobiddhoṅśi ostro)weapon causing large-scale death or destruction
  • গণবিধ্বংসী মারণাস্ত্র (gonobiddhoṅśi maronastro)weapon causing large-scale death or destruction
Bulgarian оръ́жие за ма́сово поразя́ване
  • оръ́жие за ма́сово поразя́ване (orắžie za másovo porazjávane)weapon causing large-scale death or destruction
Catalan arma de destrucció massiva
  • arma de destrucció massivaweapon causing large-scale death or destruction
Chinese Cantonese 大規模殺傷性武器 /大规模杀伤性武器
  • 大規模殺傷性武器 /大规模杀伤性武器 (daai⁶ kwai¹ mou⁴ saat³ soeng¹ sing³ mou⁵ hei³)weapon causing large-scale death or destruction
Chinese Mandarin 大規模殺傷性武器 /大规模杀伤性武器
  • 大規模殺傷性武器 /大规模杀伤性武器 (dàguīmó shāshāngxìng wǔqì)weapon causing large-scale death or destruction
Czech zbraň hromadného ničení
  • zbraň hromadného ničeníweapon causing large-scale death or destruction
Danish masseødelæggelsesvåben
  • masseødelæggelsesvåbenweapon causing large-scale death or destruction
Dutch massavernietigingswapen
  • massavernietigingswapenweapon causing large-scale death or destruction
Esperanto amasdetrua armilo
  • amasdetrua armiloweapon causing large-scale death or destruction
Estonian massihävitusrelv
  • massihävitusrelvweapon causing large-scale death or destruction
Finnish joukkotuhoase
  • joukkotuhoaseweapon causing large-scale death or destruction
French arme de destruction massive, ADM
  • arme de destruction massiveweapon causing large-scale death or destruction
  • ADMweapon causing large-scale death or destruction
German Massenvernichtungswaffe
  • Massenvernichtungswaffeweapon causing large-scale death or destruction
Greek όπλο μαζικής καταστροφής
  • όπλο μαζικής καταστροφής (óplo mazikís katastrofís)weapon causing large-scale death or destruction
Hebrew נשק בלתי קונבנציונלי
  • נשק בלתי קונבנציונליweapon causing large-scale death or destruction
Hindi सामूहिक विनाश के हथियार, सामूहिक विनाश का अस्त्र
  • सामूहिक विनाश के हथियार (sāmūhik vināś ke hathiyār)weapon causing large-scale death or destruction
  • सामूहिक विनाश का अस्त्र (sāmūhik vināś kā astra)weapon causing large-scale death or destruction
  • जनविनाशकारी आयुध (janvināśkārī āyudh)weapon causing large-scale death or destruction
Hungarian tömegpusztító fegyver
  • tömegpusztító fegyverweapon causing large-scale death or destruction
Icelandic gjöreyðingarvopn
  • gjöreyðingarvopnweapon causing large-scale death or destruction
Indonesian senjata pemusnah massal
  • senjata pemusnah massalweapon causing large-scale death or destruction
Italian arma di distruzione di massa
  • arma di distruzione di massaweapon causing large-scale death or destruction
Japanese 大量破壊兵器
  • 大量破壊兵器 (tairyō hakai heiki)weapon causing large-scale death or destruction
Korean 대량살상무기, 대량파괴무기
  • 대량살상무기 (daeryangsalsangmugi)weapon causing large-scale death or destruction
  • 대량파괴무기 (daeryangpagoemugi)weapon causing large-scale death or destruction
  • 대량살륙무기 (daeryangsallyungmugi)weapon causing large-scale death or destruction
Latvian masu iznīcināšanas ierocis
  • masu iznīcināšanas ierocisweapon causing large-scale death or destruction
Lithuanian masinio naikinimo ginklas
  • masinio naikinimo ginklasweapon causing large-scale death or destruction
Malay senjata pemusnah besar-besaran
  • senjata pemusnah besar-besaranweapon causing large-scale death or destruction
Norwegian Bokmål masseøydeleggingsvåpen
  • masseøydeleggingsvåpenweapon causing large-scale death or destruction
Persian سلاح کشتارجمعی
  • سلاح کشتارجمعی (selâh-e koštâr-jam'i)weapon causing large-scale death or destruction
Polish broń masowego rażenia, broń masowej zagłady
  • broń masowego rażeniaweapon causing large-scale death or destruction
  • broń masowej zagładyweapon causing large-scale death or destruction
Portuguese arma de destruição em massa, arma de destruição maciça
  • arma de destruição em massaweapon causing large-scale death or destruction
  • arma de destruição maciçaweapon causing large-scale death or destruction
Romanian armă de distrugere în masă
  • armă de distrugere în masăweapon causing large-scale death or destruction
Russian ору́жие ма́ссового уничтоже́ния, ору́жие ма́ссового пораже́ния
  • ору́жие ма́ссового уничтоже́ния (orúžije mássovovo uničtožénija)weapon causing large-scale death or destruction
  • ору́жие ма́ссового пораже́ния (orúžije mássovovo poražénija)weapon causing large-scale death or destruction
Slovak zbraň hromadného ničenia
  • zbraň hromadného ničeniaweapon causing large-scale death or destruction
Spanish arma de destrucción masiva
  • arma de destrucción masivaweapon causing large-scale death or destruction
Swedish massförstörelsevapen
  • massförstörelsevapenweapon causing large-scale death or destruction
Tagalog sandata ng malawakang pagkawasak
  • sandata ng malawakang pagkawasakweapon causing large-scale death or destruction
Tamil பேரழிவு ஆயுதம்
  • பேரழிவு ஆயுதம் (pēraḻivu āyutam)weapon causing large-scale death or destruction
Thai อาวุธอานุภาพทำลายล้างสูง
  • อาวุธอานุภาพทำลายล้างสูงweapon causing large-scale death or destruction
Turkish kitle imha silahları
  • kitle imha silahlarıweapon causing large-scale death or destruction
Ukrainian збро́я ма́сового ура́ження, збро́я ма́сового зни́щення
  • збро́я ма́сового ура́ження (zbrója másovoho urážennja)weapon causing large-scale death or destruction
  • збро́я ма́сового зни́щення (zbrója másovoho znýščennja)weapon causing large-scale death or destruction
Urdu انبوہ تباہی ہتھیار
  • انبوہ تباہی ہتھیارweapon causing large-scale death or destruction
Vietnamese vũ khí huỷ diệt hàng loạt
  • vũ khí huỷ diệt hàng loạtweapon causing large-scale death or destruction
Welsh arf dinistr torfol
  • arf dinistr torfolweapon causing large-scale death or destruction
Yiddish מאָסן פֿאַרניכטונג וואָפֿן
  • מאָסן פֿאַרניכטונג וואָפֿן (mosn farnikhtung vofn)weapon causing large-scale death or destruction
Cite this entry
APA

weapon of mass destruction. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/weapon%20of%20mass%20destruction

MLA

“weapon of mass destruction.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/weapon%20of%20mass%20destruction. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “weapon of mass destruction,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/weapon%20of%20mass%20destruction.

Source: weapon of mass destruction on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.