semiautomatic

adjective semi·au·to·mat·ic \ ˌse-mē-ˌȯ-tə-ˈma-tik , ˌse-ˌmī- , -mi- \

Updated on: 19 Apr 2018

: 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

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semiautomatic

noun

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semiautomatically

play \ˌse-mē-ˌȯ-tə-ˈma-ti-k(ə-)lē, ˌse-ˌmī-, -mi-\ adverb

See semiautomatic defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of semiautomatic from the Web

Last month the Trump administration said the Justice Department would move to ban the devices, which essentially turn semiautomatic weapons into automatic weapons.

— michael livingston, latimes.com, "Vermont OKs gun controls, while Louisiana scuttles bid to raise age for buying assault weapons," 12 Apr. 2018
Today’s version of the AR-15 rifle is marketed to civilians solely as a semiautomatic weapon, which means one round is fired with each pull of the trigger.

— john tedesco, San Antonio Express-News, "‘Joe Pags Show’ in the national spotlight after Ted Nugent interview," 6 Apr. 2018
Allowing people to buy semiautomatic weapons — which sometimes occurs without background checks — is not the answer.

— BostonGlobe.com, "Is arming teachers a good way to improve school safety?," 6 Apr. 2018
Well, there are semiautomatic handguns and hunting rifles too.

— german lopez, Vox, "Why an assault weapons ban can’t address America’s gun problem," 3 Apr. 2018
The fund still holds $33.1 million worth of investments in gun firms that make products for the military and law enforcement, and other firearms manufacturers that make non-automatic and non-semiautomatic weapons.

— joseph de avila, WSJ, "New Jersey Drops Investments in Some Gun Makers," 29 Mar. 2018
The students plan to demand a ban on all military-style weapons and all accessories that turn semiautomatic weapons into automatic weapons, such as bump stocks.

— samantha schmidt, chicagotribune.com, "Students marching 50 miles to House Speaker Paul Ryan's Wisconsin hometown to call for gun reform," 26 Mar. 2018
What America likely needs, then, is something more like Australia’s mandatory buyback program — essentially, a gun confiscation scheme — paired with a serious ban on specific firearms (including, potentially, all semiautomatic weapons).

— german lopez, Vox, "I’ve covered gun violence for years. The solutions aren’t a big mystery.," 24 Mar. 2018
In response to the Parkland school shooting that killed 17 dead, Trump has advocated arming teachers and banning bump stocks, a device that causes a semiautomatic weapon to fire more rapidly.

— skyler swisher, Sun-Sentinel.com, "President Donald Trump will be at Mar-a-Lago during 'March for Our Lives' rally, FAA advisory suggests," 19 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'semiautomatic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.