thermonuclear

adjective

ther·​mo·​nu·​cle·​ar ˌthər-mō-ˈnü-klē-ər How to pronounce thermonuclear (audio)
-ˈnyü-,
nonstandard
-ˈn(y)ü-kyə-lər How to pronounce thermonuclear (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or employing transformations in the nuclei of atoms of low atomic weight (such as hydrogen) that require a very high temperature for their inception (as in the hydrogen bomb or in the sun)
thermonuclear reaction
thermonuclear weapon
2
: of, utilizing, or relating to a thermonuclear bomb
thermonuclear war
a thermonuclear attack

Examples of thermonuclear in a Sentence

Hydrogen bombs are thermonuclear weapons.
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.
Dense clumps of primordial hydrogen and helium left over from the big bang collapsed under their own gravitational weight, igniting thermonuclear chain reactions at their cores that would light up the universe for the first time. Conor Feehly, Scientific American, 4 Mar. 2025 This recurrent nova, located approximately 3,000 light-years away in the constellation Corona Borealis, was predicted to explode in a thermonuclear eruption between April and September 2024. Jamie Carter, Space.com, 2 Mar. 2025 There’s some information about Atlanta on the tablet: Namely, that two thermonuclear weapons were there. Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 18 Feb. 2025 The thermonuclear visit comes after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman set aside $2.3 billion in the federal budget earlier this month to promote the development of nuclear power generation in India. Ganesh Rao, CNBC, 13 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for thermonuclear

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1938, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of thermonuclear was in 1938

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Thermonuclear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thermonuclear. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

thermonuclear

adjective
ther·​mo·​nu·​cle·​ar ˌthər-mō-ˈn(y)ü-klē-ər How to pronounce thermonuclear (audio)
: of or relating to the transformations in the nucleus of atoms of low atomic weight (as hydrogen) that require a very high temperature (as in the hydrogen bomb or in the sun)
a thermonuclear reaction
a thermonuclear weapon

More from Merriam-Webster on thermonuclear

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