paramilitary
adjective
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This term paramilitary can take in a wide range of organizations, but is usually applied to forces formed by a government. Groups opposing a government, even when organized along military lines, are more often referred to as guerrillas or insurgents. In countries with weak central governments (such as, in recent times, Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq, or Congo), warlords may form their own paramilitary forces and take over all local police and military functions. Paramilitary often has a sinister sound today, since it's also applied to groups of off-duty military or police personnel who carry out illegal violence, often at night, with the quiet support of a government.
Examples of paramilitary in a Sentence
Declan Walsh, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2025
Since the fighting began in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group in the capital, Khartoum, tens of thousands have lost their lives.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 18 Apr. 2025
Safe Reach Solutions, the logistics firm in Gaza, was founded by Phil Reilly, a former CIA paramilitary officer who is no stranger to precarious missions in hostile territories.
—Lucien Bruggeman, ABC News, 18 Apr. 2025
Although the army has now gained control of the northern and eastern regions of the country, including recently the capital, Khartoum, the paramilitary RSF is still in charge of the southern region and much of Darfur.
—Violet Ikong, Christian Science Monitor, 14 Apr. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Paramilitary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paramilitary. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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