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
The Houthis, a Yemeni militia backed by Iran, have created their own fundamental challenge to freedom of navigation, using drones and missiles to attack shipping in the Red Sea.
—
Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025
Father Michelle Naaman, who was kidnapped during the civil war, complained that foreign fighters were manning some checkpoints, confusing the question of who represents the government and who are militia members.
—Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 25 Feb. 2025
Iran and its proxy militia are persona non grata, and Turkey appears poised to become the main military backer and arms supplier of Damascus.
—Paul Iddon, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2025
Many Hutus fled to Congo after the genocide and founded the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda militia group.
—Chinedu Asadu, arkansasonline.com, 17 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for militia
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Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025
Father Michelle Naaman, who was kidnapped during the civil war, complained that foreign fighters were manning some checkpoints, confusing the question of who represents the government and who are militia members.
—Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 25 Feb. 2025
Iran and its proxy militia are persona non grata, and Turkey appears poised to become the main military backer and arms supplier of Damascus.
—Paul Iddon, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2025
Many Hutus fled to Congo after the genocide and founded the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda militia group.
—Chinedu Asadu, arkansasonline.com, 17 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for militia
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Cite this Entry
“Militia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/militia. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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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