handgun

noun

hand·​gun ˈhan(d)-ˌgən How to pronounce handgun (audio)
: a firearm (such as a revolver or pistol) designed to be held and fired with one hand

Examples of handgun in a Sentence

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.
O’Neill Burke pledged during her campaign to seek pretrial detention for anyone caught with an assault weapon, and that includes handguns with contraptions converting them to automatic firearms. The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2025 Associated Press photos from a 2019 operation that resulted in 680 arrests at several Mississippi chicken processing plants showed agents wore handguns and tactical vests, but did not wear masks, carry rifles nor arrive in armored vehicles. Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 June 2025 As the struggle continued two objects, later determined to be handguns, fell out of the man’s bag. Brian Bell, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 June 2025 Last fall, a federal jury found Thompson, of Brooklyn Park, guilty of federal drug and weapons charges connected with the crash; more than 2,000 fentanyl pills and a Glock 40 semiautomatic handgun were found inside the Cadillac after the crash. Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 6 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for handgun

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of handgun was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Handgun.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/handgun. Accessed 15 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

handgun

noun
hand·​gun ˈhan(d)-ˌgən How to pronounce handgun (audio)
: a firearm designed to be held and fired with one hand

More from Merriam-Webster on handgun

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!