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

semiautomatically

ˌse-mē-ˌȯ-tə-ˈma-ti-k(ə-)lē 

ˌse-ˌmī-, 

-mi-

adverb

Examples of semiautomatic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Ivanna Ortiz, 35, was also charged with 10 counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and three felony counts of shooting at an inhabited dwelling or camper, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. —Dennis Romero, NBC news, 11 Mar. 2026

Small said police also found a semiautomatic handgun and three live rounds on the driver's side of the SUV. —Tom Ignudo, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026

During the arrests, officers recovered an AR-style firearm and an unserialized black semiautomatic handgun believed to have been used in the shooting. —Sydney Barragan, Oc Register, 4 Mar. 2026

Once in the alley, the man pulled a black and silver semiautomatic handgun from his waist. —Chris Ramirez, jsonline.com, 24 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1853, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for semiautomatic

• antidemocratic
• bacteriostatic
• heterochromatic
• idiosyncratic
• nonadiabatic
• paleoclimatic
• achromatic
• acrobatic
• adriatic
• aliphatic
• antistatic
• aromatic