armed

1 of 2

adjective (1)

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

armed

2 of 2

adjective (2)

: 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
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Adjective
He was sentenced to 17 years for armed kidnapping and 17 years for armed burglary with assault or battery. Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 25 Oct. 2025 The violations of these individuals’ rights, often by masked, heavily armed and unidentified agents needs to stop. Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025 What was meant to prevent violence ended up turning an ordinary moment into a frightening encounter with armed officers. Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2025 No leaves on the trees, few birds in the sky; the spacious vistas interdicted in all directions by armed men in black uniforms—police at the perimeter barricades, police on motorcycles, police drifting overhead in helicopters. Henry Freedland, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for armed

Word History

Etymology

Adjective (1)

Middle English, from past participle of armen "to arm entry 2"

First Known Use

Adjective (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective (2)

1500, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of armed was in the 14th century

Cite this Entry

“Armed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/armed. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

armed

adjective
1
: furnished with weapons
an armed guard
2
: furnished with something that provides security or strength
armed with knowledge

Medical Definition

armed

adjective
1
: 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

adjective
1
: having a weapon
an armed assailant
2
: involving the use of a weapon
an armed attack

More from Merriam-Webster on armed

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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