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Synonyms

weapon

American  
[wep-uhn] / ˈwɛp ən /

noun

  1. any instrument or device for use in attack or defense in combat, fighting, or war, as a sword, rifle, or cannon.

  2. anything used against an opponent, adversary, or victim.

    the deadly weapon of satire.

  3. Zoology. any part or organ serving for attack or defense, as claws, horns, teeth, or stings.

verb (used with object)

  1. to supply or equip with a weapon or weapons.

    to weapon aircraft with heat-seeking missiles.
weapon British  
/ ˈwɛpən /

noun

  1. an object or instrument used in fighting

  2. anything that serves to outwit or get the better of an opponent

    his power of speech was his best weapon

  3. any part of an animal that is used to defend itself, to attack prey, etc, such as claws, teeth, horns, or a sting

  4. a slang word for penis

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • outweaponed adjective
  • superweapon noun
  • unweaponed adjective
  • weaponed adjective
  • weaponless adjective

Etymology

Origin of weapon

First recorded before 900; Middle English wepen, Old English wǣpen; cognate with German Waffe, Old Norse vāpn, Gothic wēpna (plural)

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.

The Bruins held Booker, the Longhorns’ top offensive weapon, to six points on three-for-23 shooting.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026

This newspaper’s first mention of Apple was all the way back on April 17, 1978, buried in the 16th paragraph of a story on Page 40 about investors with a secret weapon: the personal computer.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

The conflict marks the first time the weapon, which is manufactured by Lockheed Martin and entered service in 2023, has been used by the US military, according to the Department of Defense.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

This includes Massachusetts, where courts consider factors such as the characteristics of any weapon used when evaluating whether a self-defense shooting was proportional.

From Slate • Mar. 27, 2026

That weapon was unnecessary now, as both Jefferson and Madison understood, because the superior organization of the Republicans at the state level virtually assured their victory in the looming presidential election.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

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.