semiautomatic

adjective

semi·​au·​to·​mat·​ic ˌse-mē-ˌȯ-tə-ˈma-tik 

ˌse-ˌmī-,

-mi-

: not fully automatic: such as

a

: operated partly automatically and partly by hand

b

of a firearm : able to fire repeatedly through an automatic reloading process but requiring release and another pressure of the trigger for each successive shot

a semiautomatic rifle

semiautomatic noun

semiautomatically

ˌse-mē-ˌȯ-tə-ˈma-ti-k(ə-)lē 

ˌse-ˌmī-

-mi-

adverb

Examples of semiautomatic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

After putting his 7-year-old niece in an upstairs bedroom, Corcoran loaded his semiautomatic rifle and fatally shot his brother, his brother's two friends and Turner. —Joseph Dits, The Indianapolis Star, 18 Dec. 2024

Pollard is accused of pointing a semiautomatic pistol at the victim standing near the Rolls-Royce and demanding all the victim’s cash. —Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD, 9 Dec. 2024

To start, this is a semiautomatic machine for the espresso enthusiast who already knows how to use an espresso machine. —Andrew Watman, WIRED, 5 Dec. 2024

At the time of the homicide, Neal was on parole for a 2019 assault with a semiautomatic firearm conviction in Alameda County, court records show. —Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 30 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1853, in the meaning defined above