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

Fleming was received from Los Angeles County in 2019 to serve a 42-year sentence for second-degree robbery and assault with a semiautomatic firearm. — Michael McGough, Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 2026

About a dozen states have banned semiautomatic rifles like AR-15s, which are often called assault weapons. — ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026

She had previously been charged in those counts with assault using a semiautomatic firearm. — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2026

On December 2, the court will hear arguments over whether states can ban AR-15s and other semiautomatic rifles, an opportunity for the conservative justices to further expand gun rights. — Jan Wolfe Reuters, Arkansas Online, 25 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1853, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for semiautomatic

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