paramilitary

adjective

para·​mil·​i·​tary ˌper-ə-ˈmi-lə-ˌter-ē 

ˌpa-rə-

: of, relating to, being, or characteristic of a force formed on a military pattern especially as a potential auxiliary military force

a paramilitary border patrol

paramilitary training

paramilitary noun

Did you know?

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

Government forces have been attacked by heavily armed paramilitary groups in several villages.

Recent Examples on the Web

The 20-month-old war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has been turning increasingly bloody as ceasefire efforts have stalled, and crises elsewhere have dominated world attention. —Reuters, CNN, 11 Dec. 2024

The camp was also used to train members of the SS, the paramilitary organization of Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich that ran other concentration camps such as Auschwitz and Treblinka in Poland. —Hannah Peart, NBC News, 6 Dec. 2024

Meanwhile, Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard continues to push forward with its own parallel space program, evidenced by a successful launch in September. —Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2024

The Hezbollah leader who transformed the Lebanese militant group into a potent paramilitary and political force in the Middle East. —Ryan Hogg, Fortune, 3 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1935, in the meaning defined above