Unarmed means without weapons. When someone is unarmed, they carry no guns, knives, swords, or any other tools designed for fighting. Police officers sometimes work with unarmed security guards who keep watch but don't carry weapons. In video games, an unarmed character might fight using only their fists and feet.

The word matters most in situations involving conflict or danger. News reports might describe an unarmed person to make clear they posed no threat with weapons. In martial arts, fighters learn unarmed combat techniques like karate or judo that don't require weapons at all.

Throughout history, being armed or unarmed determined who held power. A knight in armor with a sword had an enormous advantage over unarmed villagers. Today, the distinction remains important: guards at some museums are unarmed, while soldiers going into combat are armed. When someone approaches a tense situation unarmed, they're showing they come in peace, not to fight.