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
Big Think, 18 Oct. 2025
In a heavily armed society, even the mildest disputes can turn fatal.
—PC Magazine, 17 Oct. 2025
At a meeting last month, Councilmember Ken Houston, a vocal fan of Marina, alluded to a report by The Oaklandside that a subsidiary of Allied was contracted to provide transportation to armed detention officers with the Department of Homeland Security.
—Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 17 Oct. 2025
The Doctors Without Borders emergency center in the neighborhood of Turgeau had temporarily closed in March 2025 after armed men opened fire on four of the organization's vehicles that were evacuating staff from the center.
—NPR, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for armed
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
In Warhead, Wright explains how armed conflict impacts every part of our brain, from the instinctive reflexes of our reptilian brainstem to the cognitive and metacognitive functions of the prefrontal cortex.
—Big Think, 18 Oct. 2025
In a heavily armed society, even the mildest disputes can turn fatal.
—PC Magazine, 17 Oct. 2025
At a meeting last month, Councilmember Ken Houston, a vocal fan of Marina, alluded to a report by The Oaklandside that a subsidiary of Allied was contracted to provide transportation to armed detention officers with the Department of Homeland Security.
—Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 17 Oct. 2025
The Doctors Without Borders emergency center in the neighborhood of Turgeau had temporarily closed in March 2025 after armed men opened fire on four of the organization's vehicles that were evacuating staff from the center.
—NPR, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for armed
Cite this Entry
“Armed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/armed. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share