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Meaning & use

firearms

noun·Everydayformal

Last updated

UK/ˈfaɪərɑːmz/
US/ˈfaɪərɑːrmz/

“firearms” is a form of “firearm”.

Meaning

  1. nounpluralformal

    Weapons, such as pistols and rifles, that shoot bullets using an explosive charge.

    Grammar: Plural of firearm: one firearm, many firearms.

    Patterns

    • firearms for something
    • a ban on firearms

    Police found several firearms in the locked cabinet.

    Firearms are not allowed on school grounds.

    The shop must have a license to sell firearms.

Common combinations

licensed firearms
Licensed firearms must be stored in a safe.
carry firearms
Guards carry firearms at the bank.
illegal firearms
Officers seized illegal firearms.
firearms law
Firearms law differs by country.
ban firearms
Some countries ban firearms entirely.

Synonyms and how they differ

guns
This is the everyday word and sounds less official.
weapons
This is wider and includes knives and bombs.
arms
This is more formal and often used in politics, as in the arms trade.

Word family

firearm noun
one such weapon
fire verb
to shoot a weapon
gunfire noun
the shooting of guns

Commonly confused: firearms or fire arms?

firearms vs fire arms

Written as two words this is not the weapon noun; the weapon is always one word.

Practice

The airport sign says that ___ may not be carried onto any aircraft.

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