armed
1 Americanadjective
adjective
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bearing firearms; having weapons.
a heavily armed patrol.
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maintained by arms.
armed peace.
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involving the use of weapons.
armed conflict.
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equipped.
The students came armed with their pocket calculators.
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(especially of an animal) covered protectively, as by a shell.
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fortified; made secure.
Armed by an inveterate optimism, he withstood despair.
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(of an artillery shell, bomb, missile, etc.) having the fuze made operative.
adjective
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equipped with or supported by arms, armour, etc
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prepared for conflict or any difficulty
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(of an explosive device) prepared for use; having a fuse or detonator installed
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(of plants) having the protection of thorns, spines, etc
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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. )
Explanation
If you're armed, you are carrying some kind of weapon. Armed soldiers are most commonly supplied with guns. In the United States, police officers are almost always armed, while British police usually don't carry guns. When a crime involves the use of a weapon, it might be described as an armed robbery, and even an animal is sometimes said to be armed: "The cat was armed with sharp teeth and claws against the puppy's enthusiasm." The Latin root is arma, "weapons," or "tools 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.
De la Espriella, a criminal defense attorney, campaigned on building prisons and using armed force against drug traffickers.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026
“ATF in those operations has been focused on offenders that were illegally armed with firearms,” he told senators.
From Salon • Jun. 2, 2026
The diversion request was granted last year after Perry argued that he suffers from mental health issues due to his time in the armed forces, Ilacqua said.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026
Zamfara state, which neighbours both Katsina and Sokoto, has seen years of similar violence, with some communities previously attempting to make peace with armed groups, efforts that have largely failed to bring lasting stability.
From BBC • May 31, 2026
Mobilizing a nation’s armed forces has been compared to drawing a gun.
From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman
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.
