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.
The firearm components, many of them 3D printed, included switches that allowed semi-automatic weapons to be fired as fully automatic, triggers, and frames for Glock handguns, according to police testimony. Pj Green september 30, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2025 Security inside the Capitol was also under scrutiny in 2023 when a Madison man visited the statehouse twice in one day demanding to see the governor, first carrying a handgun and later returning with an assault-style rifle. Jessie Opoien, jsonline.com, 29 Sep. 2025 Body camera footage shows a handgun on the ground immediately after Murdock was shot; the view of what happened between him and the officers is not visible on video. Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, 29 Sep. 2025 The investigation into how Roberts obtained the handgun is being referred to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 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

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Cite this Entry

“Handgun.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/handgun. Accessed 3 Oct. 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

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