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
An Iraqi militia called Kataib Hezbollah had Kittleson's name on a list of American journalists to target for kidnapping, per multiple sources familiar.
—
CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
American freelance journalist Shelly Kittleson has been released after being abducted a week ago by a Shiite militia group, according to Al-Monitor, one of the publications that has employed her.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 7 Apr. 2026
The relative success of the war elevated the Revolutionary Guard from a small, street-level militia, initially created to protect Khomeini and the other clerics at the forefront of the Islamic Revolution, into the symbolic defenders of the theocracy.
—Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2026
Iran and its aligned terrorist militias may intend to target universities in the Middle East.
—Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for militia
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CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
American freelance journalist Shelly Kittleson has been released after being abducted a week ago by a Shiite militia group, according to Al-Monitor, one of the publications that has employed her.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 7 Apr. 2026
The relative success of the war elevated the Revolutionary Guard from a small, street-level militia, initially created to protect Khomeini and the other clerics at the forefront of the Islamic Revolution, into the symbolic defenders of the theocracy.
—Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2026
Iran and its aligned terrorist militias may intend to target universities in the Middle East.
—Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 7 Apr. 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 8 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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