unarmed

1 of 2

adjective

un·​armed ˌən-ˈärmd How to pronounce unarmed (audio)
Synonyms of unarmednext
1
: not armed or armored
unarmed civilians
also : not using or involving a weapon
unarmed robbery
2
: having no hard and sharp projections (such as spines, spurs, or claws)

unarmed

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of unarm

Examples of unarmed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Pysher says his son was drunk but unarmed, carrying only his cellphone and a backpack containing overnight clothes and a few warm cans of beer. — Janelle Griffith, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026 Three days after Mehserle was sentenced, two Oakland police officers shot and killed another unarmed Black man, Derrick Jones, near Bancroft Avenue and Trask Street. — Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2026 The regime has demonstrated an extreme brutality toward the population, having massacred thousands of unarmed protestors this past January. — Benjamin Weinthal, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026 The Department of Homeland Security, which doesn’t seem willing or able to keep its agents from killing unarmed civilians, proposes to equip them with gloves that give electric shocks. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unarmed

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of unarmed was in the 14th century

Rhymes for unarmed

See All Rhymes for unarmed

Browse Nearby Words

unarm
unarmed
unarmored
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unarmed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unarmed. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

unarmed

adjective
un·​armed ˌən-ˈärmd How to pronounce unarmed (audio)
ˈən-
: not armed or armored
unarmed civilians
also : not using or involving a weapon
unarmed robbery

Medical Definition

unarmed

adjective
un·​armed ˌən-ˈärmd How to pronounce unarmed (audio)
: having no arms or armlike projections
an unarmed tapeworm

More from Merriam-Webster on unarmed

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for unarmed

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All