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
Darius Johnson, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026
In the short run, the power struggle could involve armed conflict.
—Pedro A. Rojas Arroyo, Boston Herald, 22 Jan. 2026
Nigeria has experienced a dramatic surge in mass attacks by armed gangs, particularly Islamist militants, who often operate from forest enclaves and target villages, schools and places of worship.
—Greg Norman-Diamond, FOXNews.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Kurdish exiles claim Iranian attack in Iraq The National Army of Kurdistan, the armed wing of the Kurdistan Freedom Party, or PAK, claimed Iran launched an attack against one of its bases near Irbil, some 200 miles north of Baghdad.
—Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for armed
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Adjective
During the raid, armed ICE and CBP agents rappelled from black hawk military helicopters and entered nearly all130 units in the five-story building.
—Darius Johnson, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026
In the short run, the power struggle could involve armed conflict.
—Pedro A. Rojas Arroyo, Boston Herald, 22 Jan. 2026
Nigeria has experienced a dramatic surge in mass attacks by armed gangs, particularly Islamist militants, who often operate from forest enclaves and target villages, schools and places of worship.
—Greg Norman-Diamond, FOXNews.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Kurdish exiles claim Iranian attack in Iraq The National Army of Kurdistan, the armed wing of the Kurdistan Freedom Party, or PAK, claimed Iran launched an attack against one of its bases near Irbil, some 200 miles north of Baghdad.
—Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 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 23 Jan. 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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