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
Iraqi militias had also kidnapped foreigners before the war.
—
Qassim Abdul-Zahra, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026
Could Iran end up like Libya, where a NATO air campaign in 2011 helped topple a decades-old dictatorship, but paved the way for the disintegration of the Libyan state into a thicket of rival factions and warring militias?
—Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
This included a police station and a compound belonging to the Basij militia, a volunteer branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the statement added.
—Charlene Gubash, NBC news, 30 Mar. 2026
The militias have also struck Iraqi government institutions, airports, hotels frequented by foreigners, and energy infrastructure.
—Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for militia
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Qassim Abdul-Zahra, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026
Could Iran end up like Libya, where a NATO air campaign in 2011 helped topple a decades-old dictatorship, but paved the way for the disintegration of the Libyan state into a thicket of rival factions and warring militias?
—Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
This included a police station and a compound belonging to the Basij militia, a volunteer branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the statement added.
—Charlene Gubash, NBC news, 30 Mar. 2026
The militias have also struck Iraqi government institutions, airports, hotels frequented by foreigners, and energy infrastructure.
—Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for militia
Cite this Entry
“Militia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/militia. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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
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