semiautomatic
adjective
semi·au·to·mat·ic
| \ ˌse-mē-ˌȯ-tə-ˈma-tik
, ˌse-ˌmī-, -mi-\
, ˌse-ˌmī-, -mi-\
Definition of semiautomatic
: 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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Other Words from semiautomatic
semiautomatic
noun
semiautomatically
\ ˌse-mē-ˌȯ-tə-ˈma-ti-k(ə-)lē
, ˌse-ˌmī- , -mi- \
adverb
, ˌse-ˌmī- , -mi- \
adverb
Examples of semiautomatic in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Universal background checks, a ban on semiautomatic weapons and improved approaches to treating mental illness have all been proposed as potential remedies. — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE.com, "So You Think You Can Dance Airs Powerful Routine Tackling the Epidemic of Gun Violence: 'Enough'," 20 Aug. 2019 Canadians can own handguns and semiautomatic weapons, too, but those require an additional license and training, and the guns must be registered. — Los Angeles Times, "Column: Is there something wrong with us?," 7 Aug. 2019 The federal government banned gun owners from owning semiautomatic assault weapons and large-capacity ammunition magazines from 1994 to 2004, until the law expired and lawmakers failed to renew it. — Emanuella Grinberg, CNN, "Nine states ban large-capacity ammunition magazines, but Ohio is not one of them," 5 Aug. 2019 This unprecedented act of violence in New Zealand involved semiautomatic weapons, in a country with strict gun laws, where mass shootings haven’t occurred since 1990. — Ahmad Ibsais, Teen Vogue, "New Zealand's Mass Shooting is an Expression of the Violence Muslims Face Around the World," 15 Mar. 2019 Gun laws worldwide: How gun laws in a dozen countries compare with New Zealand's new ban on semiautomatic weapons More than 90 collection events have taken place across the country with more than 7,000 gun owners attending, police said. — Ryan W. Miller, USA TODAY, "New Zealanders have turned in more than 10,000 guns after mass shooting in Christchurch," 12 Aug. 2019 The first proposal would’ve required background checks at the point of transfer of a pistol or semiautomatic military-style assault weapon. — Dana Ferguson, Twin Cities, "MN Gov. Walz calls on Legislature to take up gun control after Ohio, Texas mass shootings," 5 Aug. 2019 Overall, 6 in 10 Americans support a ban on AR-15 rifles and similar semiautomatic weapons. — Fortune, "Trump Says He Wants Stronger Gun Checks—But He’s Reneged in the Past," 5 Aug. 2019 California has raised the minimum age for buying any gun to 21, required that all sales be completed through a licensed dealer and banned semiautomatic weapons with detachable magazines. — Matthias Gafni, SFChronicle.com, "Gilroy shooting shows how California’s gun laws are undermined by its neighbors," 29 July 2019These 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.
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More Definitions for semiautomatic
semiautomatic
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of semiautomatic
of a gun
: able to fire bullets one after the other quickly but not automatically
See the full definition for semiautomatic in the English Language Learners Dictionary