assault rifle

American  

noun

• assault rifles
  plural

1. a military rifle capable of both automatic and semiautomatic fire, utilizing an intermediate-power cartridge.

2. a nonmilitary weapon modeled on the military assault rifle, usually modified to allow only semiautomatic fire.

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assault rifle British  

noun

1. a semiautomatic firearm with additional features such as a large magazine, a bayonet fitting, etc

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• assault rifles
  plural

Etymology

Origin of assault rifle

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

assault rifle

The AK-47 rifle is a good example: It was developed by Russian designers, influenced by a German assault rifle, then mass-produced by the Soviet Union’s sprawling factories.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

In the eastern state of Bihar, a police official was suspended for using an assault rifle to disperse student protesters in Siwan district on Saturday.

From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is investigating how an assault rifle went missing from — and potentially fell out of — the trunk of a squad car in South L.A.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2025

The Uvalde gunman used an assault rifle; Herrera is known as the AK Guy.

From Slate ● May 28, 2024

She wore a bush hat and filthy green fatigues; she carried the standard M-16 automatic assault rifle; her face was black with charcoal.

From "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien