militia
noun
mi·li·tia
mə-ˈli-shə 
plural militias
1
a
: a part of the organized armed forces of a country liable to call only in emergency
The militia was called to quell the riot.
b
: a body of citizens organized for military service
2
: the whole body of able-bodied male citizens declared by law as being subject to call to military service
3
: a private group of armed individuals that operates as a paramilitary force and is typically motivated by a political or religious ideology
specifically
: such a group that aims to defend individual rights against government authority that is perceived as oppressive
Examples of militia in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Unlike the Biden administration, then, the Trump team may have little regard for the potential blowback from a sustained attempt to erode the capabilities of the Houthis in Yemen and Iraq’s Shiite militias.
—
Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2024
How Syria rebels' stars aligned for Assad's ouster After 13 years of civil war, Syria's opposition militias sensed an opportunity to loosen President Bashar al-Assad's grip on power.
—Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 9 Dec. 2024
The group is alleged to have ties to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a militia operating in Turkey that is also a U.S.-designated terror group.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 9 Dec. 2024
This is a – an Islamic militia that has risen up and has continued and now is successfully toppling the Assad regime.
—CBS News, 8 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for militia 
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.
Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2024
How Syria rebels' stars aligned for Assad's ouster After 13 years of civil war, Syria's opposition militias sensed an opportunity to loosen President Bashar al-Assad's grip on power.
—Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 9 Dec. 2024
The group is alleged to have ties to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a militia operating in Turkey that is also a U.S.-designated terror group.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 9 Dec. 2024
This is a – an Islamic militia that has risen up and has continued and now is successfully toppling the Assad regime.
—CBS News, 8 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for militia
Articles Related to militia
The Words of the Week - October 18
Dictionary lookups from the election, the night sky, and Indigenous Peoples' Day
The Words of the Week - 3/5/2021
Some of the words that defined the week ending March 5, 2021
The Words of the Week - 10/9/20
Some of the words that defined the week ending October 9, 2020
Dictionary Entries Near militia
Cite this Entry
“Militia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/militia. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
militia
noun
mi·li·tia
mə-ˈlish-ə
: a body of citizens with some military training who are called to active duty only in an emergency
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share