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
Examples of semiautomatic in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Fox said the man had reportedly pointed a semiautomatic handgun at construction workers and then a pest control worker.
—
Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Mar. 2025
Authorities said that Taylor’s sons, Josiah Hooker, 8, and a 5-year-old found a loaded 9mm Smith and Wesson semiautomatic handgun on a television stand that Taylor had left unattended at the family home in the 1400 block of East 71st Place when they were both wounded around 5:20 p.m. on Thursday.
—William Lee, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2025
Nikolas Cruz, who was 19 at the time, used a semiautomatic rifle to gun down the victims at his former school.
—Dara Kam, Orlando Sentinel, 17 Mar. 2025
Among the weapons returned: a dozen firearms, six gun silencers, 660 rounds of ammunition and the Sig Sauer P320 semiautomatic handgun and silencer that police believe were used in the Feb. 16 shootings, court records show.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 2025
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Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Mar. 2025
Authorities said that Taylor’s sons, Josiah Hooker, 8, and a 5-year-old found a loaded 9mm Smith and Wesson semiautomatic handgun on a television stand that Taylor had left unattended at the family home in the 1400 block of East 71st Place when they were both wounded around 5:20 p.m. on Thursday.
—William Lee, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2025
Nikolas Cruz, who was 19 at the time, used a semiautomatic rifle to gun down the victims at his former school.
—Dara Kam, Orlando Sentinel, 17 Mar. 2025
Among the weapons returned: a dozen firearms, six gun silencers, 660 rounds of ammunition and the Sig Sauer P320 semiautomatic handgun and silencer that police believe were used in the Feb. 16 shootings, court records show.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for semiautomatic
Cite this Entry
“Semiautomatic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/semiautomatic. Accessed 6 Apr. 2025.
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