Meaning & use
semiautomatic
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivenot comparable
Describing a firearm that fires one shot each time the trigger is pulled, without needing to be reloaded manually.
Grammar: Used before a noun like pistol, rifle, or weapon.
Patterns
- semiautomatic pistol
- semiautomatic rifle
- semiautomatic weapon
The officer carried a semiautomatic pistol.
Semiautomatic rifles reload themselves after each shot.
Laws about semiautomatic weapons vary by state.
adjectivenot comparabletechnical
Describing a machine that completes part of its cycle automatically but needs a person to start each cycle.
Grammar: Used before a noun like machine, lathe, or press.
Patterns
- semiautomatic machine
- semiautomatic lathe
The semiautomatic lathe advances the tool after the operator pulls a lever.
A semiautomatic press requires the worker to load each part.
Common combinations
- semiautomatic pistol
- He bought a semiautomatic pistol for target shooting.
- semiautomatic rifle
- The semiautomatic rifle fires one round per trigger pull.
- semiautomatic weapon
- The debate focused on semiautomatic weapons.
- semiautomatic machine
- The factory uses a semiautomatic machine for packaging.
Synonyms and how they differ
- self-loading
- Self-loading is a more technical synonym for firearms; semiautomatic is the everyday term.
- automatic
- Automatic often means fully automatic (continuous fire); semiautomatic means one shot per trigger pull, so the words are not interchangeable for guns.
Opposites
Word family
- semiautomatically adverb
- In a semiautomatic way.
Commonly confused: semiautomatic or automatic? semiautomatic or semi-automatic?
semiautomatic vs automatic
Automatic can mean fully automatic (fires continuously while the trigger is held); semiautomatic fires only one shot per pull.
semiautomatic vs semi-automatic
The hyphenated form semi-automatic is a common British variant; American English usually writes semiautomatic.
Practice
What does semiautomatic mean for a firearm?
Choose one answer.
Semiautomatic means one shot per trigger pull; the gun reloads itself but does not keep firing. 'Fires continuously' describes a fully automatic weapon.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “semiautomatic”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.