WMD
Abbreviation with 2 meanings
| Stands for | Weapons of mass destruction |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 2 |
| Categories | Military, Government & Politics |
WMD has two meanings. It stands for Weapons of mass destruction (military term) or Weapon of mass destruction (emergency services).
Meanings of WMD at a glance
| # | WMD stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Weapons of mass destruction | Military › Military Term |
| 2 | Weapon of mass destruction | Government & Politics › Emergency Services |
1. Weapons of mass destruction
Military · Military Term Abbreviations
Weapons capable of killing large numbers of people, generally meaning nuclear, biological, chemical and radiological weapons. Preventing their spread is a central goal of US defense and arms control policy.
Example: The inspectors found no evidence of an active WMD program at the site.
Claims that Iraq possessed WMD were the main public justification for the 2003 invasion; the Iraq Survey Group later concluded that Iraq had no stockpiles at the time. The term dates at least to the 1930s, when it described aerial bombing. Treaties such as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and Chemical Weapons Convention target WMD.
2. Weapon of mass destruction
Government & Politics · Emergency Services Abbreviations
Weapon capable of killing large numbers of people, typically nuclear, radiological, chemical or biological, and under US federal law also certain explosive devices. Emergency planners train for WMD incidents alongside the military.
Example: The FBI and fire department ran a joint WMD exercise at the stadium.
US federal law, 18 U.S.C. 2332a, defines WMD broadly to include explosive bombs and certain other devices. The term became central to debates before the 2003 Iraq War. Fire departments maintain WMD response teams in many large cities.
Related abbreviations
More military term abbreviations
- AAFES – Army and Air Force Exchange Service
- AAR – After action review
- ABU – Airman Battle Uniform
- ACFT – Army Combat Fitness Test
- ACU – Army Combat Uniform
- AD – Active duty
- AFQT – Armed Forces Qualification Test
- AFSC – Air Force Specialty Code
See all 248 military term abbreviations →
More emergency services abbreviations
- 000 – Emergency telephone number (Australia)
- 112 – European emergency number
- 911 – Emergency telephone number (United States and Canada)
- 999 – Emergency telephone number (United Kingdom)
- AHJ – Authority having jurisdiction
- AMBER – America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response
- APCO – Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials
- ARES – Amateur Radio Emergency Service