unarmed

1 of 2

adjective

un·​armed ˌən-ˈärmd 

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

Adjective

Second were unarmed passengers who subdued the armed attacker before one pulled back on the yoke to level the aircraft, drawing on knowledge from an air-disaster documentary. — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026

Prosecutors ultimately alleged that Kathryn, Grist and Ellis had lured an unarmed Matthew to the home and that a knife was placed in his hand afterward to make the shooting look like self-defense. — Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2026

Cutting back and forth between the present and the past, each member of the unit reflects on a hostage situation turned ICE raid that went completely off track, leaving an unarmed civilian shot dead by Hondo’s hand. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 25 Sep. 2026

Scott Saetern — a 37-year-old unarmed man who was experiencing a mental health crisis at a gas station in June 2025 — eventually lost consciousness while in the backseat, and died the next day. — Theresa Clift, Sacbee.com, 21 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for unarmed

• alarmed
• disarmed
• unharmed
• armed
• charmed
• farmed
• harmed

Kids Definition

unarmed

adjective

un·​armed ˌən-ˈärmd 

ˈən-

: not armed or armored

unarmed civilians

also : not using or involving a weapon

unarmed robbery

Medical Definition

unarmed

adjective

un·​armed ˌən-ˈärmd 

: having no arms or armlike projections

an unarmed tapeworm