disarm

verb

dis·​arm dis-ˈärm 

diz-,

ˈdis-ˌärm

disarmed; disarming; disarms

transitive verb

1

a

: to deprive of means, reason, or disposition to be hostile

disarmed criticism by admitting her errors

b

: to win over

2

a

: to divest of arms

disarm captured troops

b

: to deprive of a means of attack or defense

disarm a ship

c

: to make harmless

disarm a bomb

intransitive verb

1

: to lay aside arms

2

: to give up or reduce armed forces

disarmament

ˌdis-ˈär-mə-mənt 

noun

disarmer noun

Synonyms

• demilitarize

Examples of disarm in a Sentence

The government has been unsuccessful at disarming the rebels.

The terrorists have refused to disarm.

It took more than an hour to disarm the bomb.

Recent Examples on the Web

Not only has her joyous campaign disarmed naysayers and Trump, but it’s also inspired Americans to be brave enough to try to find joy in their lives, even during trying times. —Dominique Fluker, Essence, 6 Sep. 2024

My two great powers are my ability to charm and disarm people from all walks of life, and my ability to crunch numbers in a pinch. —Dalton Ross, EW.com, 4 Sep. 2024

To do so would be to unilaterally disarm, and the stakes today are simply too high. —Charles J. Holden / Made By History, TIME, 7 Aug. 2024

Writing for the court majority, Chief Justice John Roberts said that when an individual has been found to pose a credible threat to the physical safety of another person, the Second Amendment allows that person to be temporarily disarmed . —Nina Totenberg, NPR, 21 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English desarmen, literally, to divest of arms, from Anglo-French desarmer, from des- dis- + armer to arm

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Kids Definition

disarm

verb

dis·​arm (ˈ)dis-ˈärm 

1

: to take weapons from

disarm a prisoner

2

: to reduce the size and strength of the armed forces of a country

3

: to make harmless, peaceable, or friendly : remove dislike or suspicion

a disarming smile

disarmament

-ˈär-mə-mənt 

noun