Semi-automatic

adj, noun

adj, noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A semi-automatic firearm, especially such a pistol.

    "The Los Angeles ordinance covers semi-automatics with a detachable magazine of 20 rounds or more. As examples, it cited such weapons as the AR 15 assault rifles, Uzi assault rifles and carbines, Ingram Mac-10 and Mac-11 assault carbines, AK-47 assault rifles, Thompson carbines and all Avtomat Kalashnikov weapons."

  2. 2
    A semi-automatic transmission.
Adjective
  1. 1
    Partially automatic. not-comparable
  2. 2
    Of a firearm that automatically ejects a shell and loads the next one, but requires the trigger to be squeezed for each shot; autoloading. not-comparable

    "The pro-gun majority in the House of Representatives moved Wednesday to compel the nation's capital to broaden the rights of its residents to buy and own firearms, including semi-automatic weapons."

Example

More examples

"Regrettably, mass shootings of children now occur so frequently in United States schools that some parents are buying so-called bulletproof backpacks for their children. While the backpacks can stop a bullet fired from a handgun, they are ineffective against semi-automatic rifles, which ruthless shooters can easily purchase in that country."

Etymology

From semi- + automatic.

Related phrases

semi-automatically

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.