Definition

Proper noun: * A powerful political advocacy group: The National Rifle Association is a prominent organization in the United States that primarily advocates for gun rights. It strongly supports the legal ownership of firearms as protected by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and typically opposes government-imposed regulations on guns.

Usage Examples

• Proper noun:
  • The National Rifle Association issued a statement criticizing the proposed legislation.
  • Membership in the National Rifle Association has been a topic of political debate.
  • The senator's voting record is closely aligned with the priorities of the National Rifle Association.

Advanced Usage

• "NRA": This is the universally recognized acronym for the National Rifle Association and is often used in place of the full name in both writing and speech.
  • The NRA's influence on American politics is widely studied.

Variants and Related Words

• Gun rights advocacy: (noun phrase) The act or principle of supporting the legal right to own firearms, which is the central mission of the National Rifle Association.
• Second Amendment group: (noun phrase) An organization focused on defending the right to keep and bear arms, as described in the Second Amendment; a term often used to describe the National Rifle Association.

Synonyms

• Gun lobby: (noun phrase) A general term for groups that seek to influence legislation in favor of firearm ownership and against restrictive gun control.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• To have the NRA's backing: To receive political support or endorsement from the National Rifle Association.
  • The candidate was confident after receiving the NRA's backing.

Noun

1. a powerful lobby that advocates the right to own and bear arms and rejects any gun regulation by the government