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

Swaths of it are under the control of a patchwork of different militias with competing agendas who regularly shift allegiances. —Clarissa Ward, CNN, 23 Oct. 2024

Episode subjects range from militias in Palestine to AI, Milei’s Argentina and robots in Japan, said Vernis. —John Hopewell, Variety, 22 Oct. 2024

Two weeks later, Israel conducted an airstrike in Beirut and killed Hezbollah's top military commander, Fuad Shukr — the biggest blow to the militia since Israel's assassination of its previous military commander, Imad Mughniyeh, in 2008. —Barak Ravid, Axios, 20 Oct. 2024

Since the attack, Israel has devastated Hamas, killed the leadership of the Lebanese militia Hezbollah and fended off two missile barrages from Iran. —Alexander Smith, NBC News, 17 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin, military service, from milit-, miles

First Known Use

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Kids 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