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nuclear winter

[ noo-klee-er win-ter, nyoo- ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

the general devastation of life, along with worldwide darkness and extreme cold, that some scientists believe would result from a global dust cloud screening out sunlight following large-scale nuclear detonations.

nuclear winter

noun

a period of extremely low temperatures and little light that, it has been suggested, would occur as a result of a nuclear war

nuclear winter

A theory first put forward in 1983 predicting that a large-scale nuclear exchange would produce enough smoke and soot to lower the temperature of the Earth significantly. Subsequent calculations indicated that the climatic effects would be much less than had originally been claimed, leading to the use of the term nuclear autumn to describe the phenomenon.

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Pronunciation Note

See nuclear ( def ).

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Word History and Origins

Origin of nuclear winter¹

First recorded in 1980–85

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Bill Ackman, a billionaire hedge fund manager who backed Trump in the 2024 presidential campaign, warned of a “self-induced, economic nuclear winter” if the president refused to back down.

From

From a kitchen sink drama focused around a young couple in Sheffield, the film showed society breaking down as nuclear winter sets in.

From

A billionaire backer of Donald Trump has urged the US president to pause his recently announced trade tariffs, or risk "a self-induced, economic nuclear winter".

From

Their attempts to survive after the attack make for harrowing viewing, with society breaking down as nuclear winter sets in.

From

Today, with nuclear arsenals vastly larger and more powerful, scientists know that a nuclear exchange would cause “nuclear winter.”

From

nuclear weapon state nuclease

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