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Synonyms

armed

1 American  
[ahrmd] / ɑrmd /

adjective

  1. having a specified number or kind of arms (often used in combination): a weak-armed quarterback.

    a four-armed Hindu god;

    a weak-armed quarterback.
armed 2 American  
[ahrmd] / ɑrmd /

adjective

  1. bearing firearms; having weapons.

    a heavily armed patrol.

  2. maintained by arms.

    armed peace.

  3. involving the use of weapons.

    armed conflict.

  4. equipped.

    The students came armed with their pocket calculators.

  5. (especially of an animal) covered protectively, as by a shell.

  6. fortified; made secure.

    Armed by an inveterate optimism, he withstood despair.

  7. (of an artillery shell, bomb, missile, etc.) having the fuze made operative.

armed 1 British  
/ ɑːmd /

adjective

  1. equipped with or supported by arms, armour, etc

  2. prepared for conflict or any difficulty

  3. (of an explosive device) prepared for use; having a fuse or detonator installed

  4. (of plants) having the protection of thorns, spines, etc

"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
armed 2 British  
/ ɑːmd /

adjective

    1. having an arm or arms

    2. ( in combination )

      long-armed

      one-armed
"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

  • half-armed adjective
  • well-armed adjective

Etymology

Origin of armed1

First recorded in 1500–10; arm 1 ( def. ) + -ed 3 ( def. )

Origin of armed2

First recorded in 1250–1300; arm 2, + -ed 2 ( def. )

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.

"I am not in favour of an ambitious industrial project that will serve our armed forces being co-managed. We need a leader."

From Barron's

The Provisional IRA - the main armed republican paramilitary group for most of the Troubles - declared a ceasefire in the run up to the agreement and officially ended its violent campaign in 2005.

From BBC

But the animal put up a fight, and police armed with shields are reported to have spent around an hour trying to catch it.

From BBC

The heightened defence posture at RAF Akrotiri will inevitably stretch the UK's already strained armed forces.

From BBC

Large areas of the country remain under the control of armed opposition groups.

From BBC

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.