mutual assured destruction
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English
Alternative forms
Etymology
A pun on "assured destruction" ("a highly reliable ability to inflict unacceptable damage ... even after absorbing a surprise first strike"), a term used in discussions of American nuclear strategy in the 1960s. Perhaps coined by Donald Brennan, conservative defense analyst and a public critic of the policy.
Noun
mutual assured destruction (uncountable)
- (politics, public policy, military) The threat of massive retaliation using nuclear weapons should a potential enemy use them first, both sides being annihilated in the event of war.
Usage notes
- In the 1980s, mutual assured destruction was 2–3× more popular. As of 2025, mutually assured destruction is 2–4× more popular.
Synonyms
Derived terms
Translations
threat
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See also
References
- ^ McNamara, Robert (1967 September 18) “"Mutual Deterrence" Speech”, in Atomic Archive
- ^ Douglas Harper (2001–2025) “mutual”, in Online Etymology Dictionary, retrieved 2025-06-18.