intercontinental

adjective

in·​ter·​con·​ti·​nen·​tal ˌin-tər-ˌkän-tə-ˈnen-tᵊl How to pronounce intercontinental (audio)
Synonyms of intercontinentalnext
1
: extending among continents or carried on between continents
2
: capable of traveling between continents
intercontinental ballistic missile

Examples of intercontinental in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This marks the beginning of replacing the Vietnam-era UH-1N Huey, which has guarded the country’s intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) fields for over 50 years. — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 1 Sep. 2026 Washington is building a new intercontinental ballistic missile, strategic bomber, and ballistic missile submarine. — Jeffrey Lewis, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2026 The nuclear spending plan includes building a new intercontinental ballistic missile, the Sentinel, which has already suffered massive cost overruns. — William Hartung, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 Davis-Monthan in Tucson was one of three Air Force bases around the country overseeing underground silos that housed the Titan II intercontinental ballistic missiles, or ICBMs. — Rebecca 'becca' Dyer, AZCentral.com, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for intercontinental

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1855, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of intercontinental was circa 1855

Rhymes for intercontinental

See All Rhymes for intercontinental

Browse Nearby Words

interconsonantal
intercontinental
interconversion
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Intercontinental.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intercontinental. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

intercontinental

adjective
in·​ter·​con·​ti·​nen·​tal ˌint-ər-ˌkänt-ᵊn-ˈent-ᵊl How to pronounce intercontinental (audio)
1
: extending among or carried on between continents
intercontinental trade
2
: capable of traveling from one continent to another
an intercontinental ballistic missile

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