semi-automatic

adjective

Partially automatic.

OriginEnglish automatic ← New Latin automaticus ← Classical Latin automatum →
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Meanings

adjectivesemi-automatic (not comparable)

alternative semiautomatic · alternative semi-auto · alternative semiauto

  1. not comparablePartially automatic.
  2. not comparableOf a firearm that automatically ejects a shell and loads the next one, but requires the trigger to be squeezed for each shot; autoloading.

    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.

    2008 September 17, “Bill in House forces capital to relax gun restrictions”, in The New York Times
nounsemi-automatic (plural semi-automatics)

plural semi-automatics · alternative semiautomatic · alternative semi-auto · alternative semiauto

  1. engineeringA semi-automatic firearm, especially such a pistol.
    1 more example

    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.

    1989 February 8, Robert Reinhold, “LOS ANGELES BANS RAPID-FIRING GUNS”, in The New York Times
  2. automotiveA semi-automatic transmission.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
self-loading

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*sem-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*sēmi
  3. Latinsēmi-
  4. Englishsemi-
  5. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ew
  6. Proto-Indo-European*tó-
  7. Proto-Hellenic*autós
  8. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ew
  9. Ancient Greekαὖ (aû)
  10. Ancient Greekτόν (tón)
  11. Ancient Greekαὐτός (autós)
  12. Ancient Greekαὐτο- (auto-)
  13. Proto-Indo-European*men-
  14. Proto-Indo-European*mn̥tós
  15. Proto-Hellenic*mətós
  16. Ancient Greekαὐτόμᾰτος (autómătos)
  17. Ancient Greekαὐτόμᾰτον (autómăton)
  18. Classical Latinautomatum
  19. New Latinautomaticus
  20. Englishautomatic
  21. Englishsemi-automatic

From semi- + automatic.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan semiautomàtic, semiautomàtic
  • semiautomàticpartially automatic
  • semiautomàticof a firearm, loading the next shell but requiring the trigger to be squeezed for each shot
Chinese Mandarin 半自動 /半自动, 半自動 /半自动
  • 半自動 /半自动 (bànzìdòng)partially automatic
  • 半自動 /半自动 (bànzìdòng)of a firearm, loading the next shell but requiring the trigger to be squeezed for each shot
Danish halvautomatisk
  • halvautomatiskpartially automatic
Finnish puoliautomaattinen, puoliautomaattinen
  • puoliautomaattinenpartially automatic
  • puoliautomaattinenof a firearm, loading the next shell but requiring the trigger to be squeezed for each shot
  • itselataavaof a firearm, loading the next shell but requiring the trigger to be squeezed for each shot
German halb automatisch, halbautomatisch
  • halb automatischpartially automatic
  • halbautomatischpartially automatic
  • halb automatischof a firearm, loading the next shell but requiring the trigger to be squeezed for each shot
  • halbautomatischof a firearm, loading the next shell but requiring the trigger to be squeezed for each shot
  • halb automatische Schusswaffesemi-automatic firearm
  • halbautomatische Schusswaffesemi-automatic firearm
  • Halbautomatiksemi-automatic transmission
Greek ημιαυτόματος, ημιαυτόματος
  • ημιαυτόματος (imiaftómatos)partially automatic
  • ημιαυτόματος (imiaftómatos)of a firearm, loading the next shell but requiring the trigger to be squeezed for each shot
  • ημιαυτόματο (imiaftómato)semi-automatic firearm
Hungarian félautomata
  • félautomatapartially automatic
Italian semiautomatico, semiautomatico
  • semiautomaticopartially automatic
  • semiautomaticoof a firearm, loading the next shell but requiring the trigger to be squeezed for each shot
Norwegian Bokmål halvautomatisk
  • halvautomatiskpartially automatic
Polish półautomatyczny, półautomatyczny
  • półautomatycznypartially automatic
  • półautomatycznyof a firearm, loading the next shell but requiring the trigger to be squeezed for each shot
  • broń półautomatycznasemi-automatic firearm
  • półautomatyczna skrzynia biegówsemi-automatic transmission
Portuguese semiautomático, semiautomático
  • semiautomáticopartially automatic
  • semiautomáticoof a firearm, loading the next shell but requiring the trigger to be squeezed for each shot
  • semiautomáticasemi-automatic firearm
Romanian semiautomat
  • semiautomatpartially automatic
Russian полуавтомати́ческий, самозарядный
  • полуавтомати́ческий (poluavtomatíčeskij)partially automatic
  • самозарядный (samozarjadnyj)of a firearm, loading the next shell but requiring the trigger to be squeezed for each shot
Spanish semiautomático
  • semiautomáticopartially automatic
Ukrainian самозаря́дний
  • самозаря́дний (samozarjádnyj)of a firearm, loading the next shell but requiring the trigger to be squeezed for each shot
Welsh lled-awtomatig
  • lled-awtomatigpartially automatic
Cite this entry
APA

semi-automatic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/semi-automatic

MLA

“semi-automatic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/semi-automatic. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “semi-automatic,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/semi-automatic.

Source: semi-automatic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.