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Glite Dictionary
W.M.D.

W.M.D.

5.6
A weapon that can kill many people, for example nuclear, chemical or biological weapons
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : A.M.D.
  • Fears about terrorist groups acquiring a W.M.D. have shaped global security policies.

Examples

  • The use of W.M.D. is strictly prohibited under international law.

  • Countries must work together to prevent the spread of W.M.D.s.

  • He argued against the proliferation of W.M.D. in volatile regions.

  • The discovery of W.M.D. stockpiles prompted widespread international concern.

  • Fears about terrorist groups acquiring a W.M.D. have shaped global security policies.

  • The discovery of W.M.D. stockpiles prompted widespread international concern.

  • Countries must work together to prevent the spread of W.M.D..

Synonyms

weapon of mass destruction
vsW.M.D.
  • Formal
96 4.8

A thing that can kill or injure many people, like nuclear, chemical and biological devices

is the abbreviated form with dots and letters rather than the full phrase
WMD
vsW.M.D.
  • NSFW
52 6.1

A weapon that can kill or injure many people, such as nuclear, chemical and biological weapons

uses dots between letters rather than the unpunctuated abbreviation

How Destructive

W.M.D.
  • Specialized
5.6
bomb
∞ 1.8
pistol
268 2.1
knife
  • NSFW
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

W.M.D. singular

Morphology

W.M.D. = weapon + mass + destruction (transparent) = W + M + D

An initialism formed from the initial letters of the phrase 'weapon of mass destruction'; the meaning is directly recoverable from the expanded words.

Etymology

W.M.D. is short for weapon of mass destruction, literally a weapon that causes mass 'destruction' to many people at once. So W.M.D. is used for very powerful weapons like nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons, because they can kill or injure large numbers of people quickly.