unarmed

adjective

un·​armed ˌən-ˈärmd How to pronounce unarmed (audio)
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)

Examples of unarmed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The authorities were responding with force, gunning down unarmed protesters and detaining activists. Anand Gopal, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 In the first season, Callie clerked for a conservative judge overseeing a police shooting involving the wrongful death of an unarmed Black man, while her roommate Malika (Zuri Adele) worked for a civil rights non-profit that was protesting outside the trial. Megan Vick, Variety, 6 Mar. 2024 One of the five-year officers shot the unarmed neighbor. Andrew Ford, The Arizona Republic, 5 Mar. 2024 Key Background McClain, an unarmed Black man, was confronted by three police officers after someone reported him as a suspicious person wearing a ski mask. Molly Bohannon, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024 That bill would enable unarmed drone donations from the US military to state and local law enforcement agencies. Calmatters, The Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2024 Pham, who left his post in 2021 and has not been replaced, said the relationship between the U.S. and Mali deteriorated in part because of a State Department decision in 2021 to block the sale of a transponder for an unarmed transport plane sought by the Malian government. Rachel Chason and Michael Birnbaum The Washington Post, arkansasonline.com, 26 Feb. 2024 Pham, who left his post in 2021 and has not been replaced, said the relationship between the United States and Mali deteriorated in part because of a State Department decision in 2021 to block the sale of a transponder for an unarmed transport plane sought by the Malian government. Michael Birnbaum, Washington Post, 25 Feb. 2024 There was less support among Republicans for teaching about more modern concepts, such as assigning a book about a police shooting of an unarmed Black teenager, or discussing the use of race in college admissions. Sarah Mervosh, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unarmed.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Dictionary Entries Near unarmed

Cite this Entry

“Unarmed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unarmed. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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