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.
Workers also requested unarmed security guards and a safer store design, including barriers and locked doors, according to the Cal/OSHA complaint.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026
Such changes would go hand in hand with an overhaul of the department’s much-maligned disciplinary system, which has faced criticism from some corners for not meting out harsh enough punishments when officers shoot unarmed people.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026
At Mexico’s request, the CIA positioned an unarmed Predator drone over a Tapalpa vacation compound, where it observed a man exit a vehicle and warmly embrace Oseguera’s lover, according to people familiar with the operation.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026
Gomez's Indigenous bodyguards are always unarmed, hoping to avoid confrontation, explains Jose Yatacue, coordinator of the Nasa unit.
From Barron's • Feb. 19, 2026
I remember feeling a wave of panic at being suddenly unarmed, but then I realized that he was more scared than I was.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
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.
