What characteristcs would you use to define assault rifle?

I'm not going to play word games, but a high powered rifle capable of semiautomatic fire that is able to take high capacity magazines would suffice, any such weapon is capable of wiping out large numbers of people in a short amount of time, and no teen should be able to buy one on short notice, if at all. AR-15 style weapons are particularly dangerous because of certain handling and recoil characteristics particular to those weapons, weapons which were designed for war, but even a mini 14 can do some serious damage in a short time.

Honestly, if the US wasnt a borderline third world country that stands on the edge of total collapse, I'd be for strict gun control. As it stands though, the summer of Floyd and the eruptions of anarcho-tyranny we've seen (and the real potential for far worse), have largely settled the gun debate. Americans no longer trust each other or their government enough to give up their guns. It's an unfortunate and totally avoidable situation, and preventing such a situation is exactly why I started speaking out about the clown bullshit that's created this situation, but I still think allowing pretty much all teens to easily buy semi automatic weapons that can cause total carnage on a whim is a bridge too far, especially given how increasingly dimwitted, detached from reality and degenerate younger Americans are becoming.