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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.

Claim: “In these past four weeks, our armed forces have delivered swift, decisive, overwhelming victories on the battlefield, victories like few people have ever seen before.”

From Slate • Apr. 2, 2026

"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 • Apr. 1, 2026

Speaking from past experience, Marinello said, “Museums like this are often not allowed to put in an armed or metal door, because it’s not in keeping with original architecture.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

Collective punishment of civilians, when it takes place during armed conflict, is a violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

What other sports team names can you think of that refer to armed conflict?

From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

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.