What does handgun mean?
A handgun is a portable firearm designed to be held and fired with one hand. The category includes revolvers, semi-automatic pistols, and other compact firearms, so “handgun” describes the way the weapon is carried and operated rather than a particular loading mechanism. In ordinary English, it is closely related to “pistol,” although in some legal and historical contexts “pistol” has been used more narrowly. News reports, court proceedings, and public-safety discussions frequently use the term when emphasizing a weapon’s portability, legality, or role in violence. The word can sound factual and technical in legal or law-enforcement settings, but it often carries a strong association with crime, shootings, and public danger in everyday discussion. A revolver is a specific kind of handgun whose chambers rotate to bring cartridges into firing position; a handgun need not be a revolver. Understanding this broader meaning helps distinguish the general category from individual firearm designs.
nounA handgun is a portable firearm designed to be held and fired with one hand. The term encompasses revolvers, semi-automatic pistols, and other firearms intended for one-handed use.
- A portable firearm designed to be held and fired with one hand, including revolvers, semi-automatic pistols, and similar weapons.
"The officer secured the handgun before questioning the witness."
"The officer secured the handgun before questioning the witness."
"The museum collection includes a rare handgun dating from the nineteenth century."
The standard plural is handguns. It is commonly used when referring to multiple weapons or to a category of weapons.
"Several handguns were recovered during the investigation."
A handgun is not a specific firearm design: the name covers both revolvers and semi-automatic pistols because it describes how the weapon is meant to be held.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does handgun come from?
Handgun is an English compound formed from hand and gun, both of which were established English words when the compound came into use in the early 17th century. The word gun has an older and etymologically debated history, but the meaning of handgun is transparent: it names a firearm intended to be held in one hand. The compound is closely related in sense to older terms such as pistol and revolver without being limited to either one.
Related word forms
How handgun is actually used
The term is standard in general, legal, and law-enforcement English. It is especially common in American usage, and some legal contexts distinguish handguns from rifles and shotguns. In ordinary modern English, it is often closely overlapping with “pistol,” while historical and legal uses of “pistol” have sometimes been narrower.
Easily confused with handgun
A revolver is a handgun whose rotating cylinder aligns each cartridge with the firing chamber; handgun is the broader category and also includes non-revolver designs.