English · Word Candidate

AR

/ˈɑː/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: ARs

Sense 1

Meaning · English

An AR-15 personal semi-automatic rifle, M-16 assault rifle, M-4 carbine, derivative or related gun; the Armalite AR family and derivatives.

Noun

Examples

In its August 2003 issue, while the ban was still in effect, Guns & Ammo ran a feature story titled “Stoner’s ‘Black Rifle’ Marches On,” subtitled “The basic AR platform has been refined, improved, upgraded, power-boosted and accurized.”

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

An assault rifle or automatic rifle.

NounRegister: informal

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Meaning · English

The name of the Latin script letter R/r.

Noun

Examples

All the ars in the inscription.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “AR” mean?

An AR-15 personal semi-automatic rifle, M-16 assault rifle, M-4 carbine, derivative or related gun; the Armalite AR family and derivatives.

Is “AR” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.