armed

1 of 3

adjective (1)

ˈärmd 

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 3

adjective (2)

: having an arm or arms especially of a specified kind or number

—usually used in combination

long-armed

two-armed

armed

3 of 3

past tense and past participle of arm entry 2

Examples of armed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Both sides had been accusing each other of bad faith, and for months some civilians in Tigray expected a return to armed hostilities. — Samuel Getachew, Arkansas Online, 25 Sep. 2026

The main combatants are Ethiopian federal troops and fighters loyal to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, or TPLF, an armed political group in Tigray, Ethiopia's northernmost regional state. — ABC News, 24 Sep. 2026

Instead, the sheriff accelerated his plans, dispatching armed deputies from Riverside County’s Special Investigations Bureau, Emergency Response Team and SWAT unit to sweep up the votes. — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026

Navies would still need to determine how to deploy and recover armed underwater drones, control them during missions, and integrate them with other forces. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2026

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

Phrases Containing armed

• armed and dangerous
• armed forces
• armed robbery
• armed to the teeth
• heavily armed
• one-armed bandit

Rhymes for armed

• alarmed
• disarmed
• unarmed
• unharmed
• charmed
• farmed
• harmed

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

ˈärmd 

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

ˈärmd 

1

: having a weapon

an armed assailant

2

: involving the use of a weapon

an armed attack