WMD
Catastrophic military capability
WMD is the abbreviation for weapon of mass destruction, referring to nuclear, chemical, biological, or radiological weapons capable of causing widespread death and devastation.
The term gained particular prominence during debates about the 2003 Iraq War, when the purported existence of Iraqi WMDs was cited as justification for military action.
The inspectors searched for WMDs but found none.
WMD can be singular or plural: a WMD, several WMDs.
Spore-forming bacterial disease
- smallpoxDeadly pustular viral infection
- botulismBacterial food poisoning
- ricinToxic castor compound
- plagueDeadly epidemic disease
bioweapon · pathogen · spores · aerosol · weaponized · contagion · outbreak · pandemic
Element ninety-two
- plutoniumActinide, atomic number 94
- fissionNuclear breakup releasing energy
- fusionJoining into unity
- warheadMunition's explosive section
ICBM · fallout · radioactivity · enrichment · isotopes · half-life · megaton · kiloton
Utter, complete destruction
- devastationSevere widespread destruction
- obliterationTotal destruction or erasure
- carnageWidespread violent death
- apocalypseTotal civilizational collapse
holocaust · extinction · fallout · contamination · irradiation · ground-zero · fireball · shockwave
Restricting weapons dissemination
- deterrencePrevention via threatened consequences
- treatyBinding pact between nations
- sanctionsPunitive international restrictions
- disarmamentReducing or eliminating weapons
inspection · IAEA · embargo · containment · verification · safeguards · intelligence · counterproliferation
anthrax
Spore-forming bacterial disease
plague · bioweapon · pathogen · spores · aerosol · weaponized · contagion · outbreak · pandemic · bioterrorism
uranium
Element ninety-two
warhead · ICBM · fallout · radioactivity · enrichment · isotopes · half-life · megaton · kiloton · centrifuge
annihilation
Utter, complete destruction
- devastationSevere widespread destruction
- obliterationTotal destruction or erasure
- carnageWidespread violent death
apocalypse · holocaust · extinction · fallout · contamination · irradiation · ground-zero · fireball · shockwave · incineration
nonproliferation
Restricting weapons dissemination
- deterrencePrevention via threatened consequences
- treatyBinding pact between nations
- sanctionsPunitive international restrictions
disarmament · inspection · IAEA · embargo · containment · verification · safeguards · intelligence · counterproliferation · preemption
- Military AcronymsAWOL, MIA, KIA, POW, NCO
- global threatsterrorism, nuclear war, cyberattacks, pandemic, nuclear weapons
- Saddam's IraqSaddam Hussein, Republican Guard, Baghdad, Tikrit, fedayeen
- Superweaponsnuclear bomb, atomic bomb, hydrogen bomb, neutron bomb, thermonuclear bomb
- synthesizerssynthesizer, synth, modular, analog, oscillator
- IraqBaghdad, Basra, Mosul, Fallujah, Kurdistan
Non-WMD military equipment
conventional arms · small arms · sidearm · handgun · rifle
Crisis relief for sufferers
shield · defense system · missile defense · bomb shelter · medical supplies
WMDsmart bomb
Self-guided explosive weapon
sniper rifle · laser-guided bomb · guided missile · drone strike · scalpel