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

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