1
a
: furnished with weapons
an armed guard
also
: using or involving a weapon
b
: furnished with something that provides security, strength, or efficacy
armed with knowledge
2
: marked by the maintenance of armed forces in readiness
: having an arm or arms especially of a specified kind or number
—usually used in combination
long-armed
two-armed
Examples of armed in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
Eastern Congo has been battered by decades of unrest as government forces fight more than 100 armed groups, the most potent being M23, often over access to its mineral riches.
—ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
In government offices across the nation, bulletproof glass often separates workers from their customers, and City Hall doors that once opened at a single tug are now locked, or flanked by armed security and metal detectors.
—Krys Fluker, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Mar. 2026
The Gulf states stressed that attacks launched from Iraqi territory by armed factions and proxies loyal to Iran were a particular grievance, and a breach of international law.
—Holly Ellyatt,emma Graham, CNBC, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for armed
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Adjective
Three people were indicted on federal charges after a crime spree that included an armed carjacking and kidnapping, leading to the arrest of a woman in Downtown Pittsburgh, federal prosecutors announced on Thursday.
—Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
Eastern Congo has been battered by decades of unrest as government forces fight more than 100 armed groups, the most potent being M23, often over access to its mineral riches.
—ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
In government offices across the nation, bulletproof glass often separates workers from their customers, and City Hall doors that once opened at a single tug are now locked, or flanked by armed security and metal detectors.
—Krys Fluker, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Mar. 2026
The Gulf states stressed that attacks launched from Iraqi territory by armed factions and proxies loyal to Iran were a particular grievance, and a breach of international law.
—Holly Ellyatt,emma Graham, CNBC, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for armed
Cite this Entry
“Armed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/armed. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
armed
adjective1
: having an arm or arms especially of a specified kind or number
—usually used in combination
long-armed
two-armed
2
: having a spiny rostellum
a tapeworm armed with numerous hammer-shaped hooks
Legal Definition
armed
adjective1
: having a weapon
an armed assailant
2
: involving the use of a weapon
an armed attack
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