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
An Australian man, who had amassed a cache of semiautomatic weapons legally, shot dead 51 Muslim worshipers during Friday prayers.
—
Charlottegraham-McLay The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 26 Nov. 2025
Lanez, whose real name is Daystar Peterson, was convicted of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 20 Nov. 2025
Binary triggers allow a semiautomatic weapon to fire both when the trigger is pulled and released, increasing its rate of fire.
—Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, 6 Nov. 2025
In his interview with deputies, the victim's then-14-year-old son told investigators that his father had been beating his mother for two days using a shoe, a belt, a semiautomatic weapon and even a flag pole, per the probable cause affidavit.
—Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 1 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for semiautomatic
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Charlottegraham-McLay The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 26 Nov. 2025
Lanez, whose real name is Daystar Peterson, was convicted of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 20 Nov. 2025
Binary triggers allow a semiautomatic weapon to fire both when the trigger is pulled and released, increasing its rate of fire.
—Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, 6 Nov. 2025
In his interview with deputies, the victim's then-14-year-old son told investigators that his father had been beating his mother for two days using a shoe, a belt, a semiautomatic weapon and even a flag pole, per the probable cause affidavit.
—Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 1 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for semiautomatic
Cite this Entry
“Semiautomatic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/semiautomatic. Accessed 5 Dec. 2025.
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