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
In 1994, President Bill Clinton signed an assault-weapons ban that outlawed the AR-15 and other semiautomatic rifles.
—
Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 17 July 2024
The Secret Service has drawn criticism for failing to keep the shooter from gaining access to the roof, 150 yards from the rally, with an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle.
—John Bacon, USA TODAY, 17 July 2024
Those rulings include reversing a 40-year-old decision to curtail federal regulatory power, invalidating a Trump-era ban on bump stock devices for semiautomatic rifles, and finding that former presidents are entitled to immunity from federal prosecution for official acts taken while in office.
—Nancy Cordes, CBS News, 16 July 2024
The weapon used by the apparent shooter Saturday was a semiautomatic AR-15, law enforcement sources say.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for semiautomatic 
Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 17 July 2024
The Secret Service has drawn criticism for failing to keep the shooter from gaining access to the roof, 150 yards from the rally, with an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle.
—John Bacon, USA TODAY, 17 July 2024
Those rulings include reversing a 40-year-old decision to curtail federal regulatory power, invalidating a Trump-era ban on bump stock devices for semiautomatic rifles, and finding that former presidents are entitled to immunity from federal prosecution for official acts taken while in office.
—Nancy Cordes, CBS News, 16 July 2024
The weapon used by the apparent shooter Saturday was a semiautomatic AR-15, law enforcement sources say.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for semiautomatic
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'semiautomatic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near semiautomatic
Cite this Entry
“Semiautomatic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/semiautomatic. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share