AK-47

noun

ˈā-ˈkā-ˌfȯr-tē-ˈse-vᵊn How to pronounce AK-47 (audio)
Synonyms of AK-47next
: a Soviet-designed 7.62 mm (.30 cal.) gas-operated magazine-fed rifle for automatic or semiautomatic fire

Examples of AK-47 in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In 2022, an Azerbaijani man armed with an AK-47 arrived at the Brooklyn home of an Iranian American activist, Masih Alinejad, with orders to kill her. — Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2026 Beijing followed up by donating 10,000 AK-47s to the Ecuadorean armed forces. — Natalia Cote-Muñoz, Foreign Affairs, 3 Aug. 2026 Mthombeni said police had swept the area three weeks ago and confiscated guns and ammunition for AK-47 rifles and arrested three people, AFP reported, adding that a resident told the eNCA broadcaster that people from the neighboring nation Lesotho lived in the settlement. — CBS News, 10 June 2026 Kuras and the only other uninjured man in the boat fled the scene while returning fire with an AK-47. — Tommy Trenchard, NPR, 31 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for AK-47

Word History

Etymology

Russian avtomat Kalashnikova 1947 Kalashnikov automatic rifle of 1947

First Known Use

1962, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of AK-47 was in 1962

Browse Nearby Words

AK
AK-47
aka
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“AK-47.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/AK-47. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on AK-47

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about AK-47

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All