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
Adjective
An armed man robbed two people shortly after 9 p.m. Saturday on Ogden Avenue, Naperville police said. Naperville Sun Staff, Chicago Tribune, 10 Sep. 2023 Other extras on offer are armed guards and guarded nannies. Tom Weijand, Robb Report, 9 Sep. 2023 However, Axon, which did not reply to a request for comment by press time, still appears to be moving forward with its armed drone plan. Ese Olumhense, WIRED, 8 Sep. 2023 In October 2022, armed sea drones were poised to attack the Russian fleet, according to the biography. Serhii Korolchuk, Washington Post, 8 Sep. 2023 Rostov-on-Don was briefly occupied by Russian mercenary fighters when Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner Group, launched a brief armed rebellion against the Russian military’s top brass in June. Marc Santora, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Sep. 2023 The two-day preliminary hearing is being held after Lester pleaded not guilty in April to first-degree assault and armed criminal action felonies. USA TODAY, 1 Sep. 2023 After many hours of combat during which Allende, along with a handful of bodyguards, functionaries, and close friends, engaged in armed resistance, La Moneda lay in smoldering ruins and the president was dead. Ariel Dorfman, The New York Review of Books, 31 Aug. 2023 Graves’s office similarly charged a 17-year-old as an adult in May with two armed carjackings and related counts. Keith L. Alexander, Washington Post, 31 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'armed.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near armed

Cite this Entry

“Armed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/armed. Accessed 28 Sep. 2023.

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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!