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
Snowling carried a revolver in his right hand and a semiautomatic handgun in his left.
—
Tony Saavedra, Oc Register, 22 Oct. 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, 22 Oct. 2025
The weapons experts suggested a semiautomatic Beretta 92F handgun that could fire up to 15 rounds nonstop, though the tempo wasn’t fast enough.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 19 Oct. 2025
In the criminal case, a jury found Rocky not guilty of shooting Relli with a semiautomatic gun during a dispute on a Los Angeles street corner in November 2021.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for semiautomatic
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Tony Saavedra, Oc Register, 22 Oct. 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, 22 Oct. 2025
The weapons experts suggested a semiautomatic Beretta 92F handgun that could fire up to 15 rounds nonstop, though the tempo wasn’t fast enough.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 19 Oct. 2025
In the criminal case, a jury found Rocky not guilty of shooting Relli with a semiautomatic gun during a dispute on a Los Angeles street corner in November 2021.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 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 30 Oct. 2025.
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