semiautomatic

adjective

semi·​au·​to·​mat·​ic ˌse-mē-ˌȯ-tə-ˈma-tik How to pronounce semiautomatic (audio)
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 adverb

Examples of semiautomatic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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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 See All Example Sentences for semiautomatic

Word History

First Known Use

1853, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of semiautomatic was in 1853

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Semiautomatic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/semiautomatic. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.

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