unarmed
Americanadjective
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without weapons or armor.
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not having claws, thorns, scales, etc., as animals or plants.
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(of an artillery shell) not armed.
adjective
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without weapons
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(of animals and plants) having no claws, prickles, spines, thorns, or similar structures
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of or relating to a projectile that does not use a detonator to initiate explosive action
Etymology
Origin of unarmed
A Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at un- 1, armed 2
Explanation
When someone is unarmed, they don't have any weapons. Leave your slingshot at home if you want to be officially unarmed. Sometimes the adjective unarmed has the sense of "helpless" or "defenseless," as when you hear about military troops attacking unarmed civilians. The word is constructed by adding the prefix un- ("not" ) to armed, which has meant "prepared for battle" since the 13th century, from its Latin root arma, "tools or implements of war."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge dismissed a murder indictment Friday against a former Los Angeles police officer in the 2015 killing of an unarmed homeless man.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026
Nowak was alone and unarmed, the judge said.
From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026
“American Skin” is, of course, also known as “41 Shots” and is the story of the killing of unarmed African immigrant Amadou Diallo by the New York City Police Department.
From Salon • May 28, 2026
They have contrasting views on policing: Malik said she opposes expanding the size of the Los Angeles Police Department and instead supports shifting more resources to the city’s unarmed crisis response program.
From Los Angeles Times • May 24, 2026
Taking our cue from the courageous civil rights advocates who brazenly refused to defend themselves, marching unarmed past white mobs that threatened to kill them, we, too, must be the change we hope to create.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
