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 Virginia house of burgesses voted to thank him and the militia for their service, with the lawmakers attributing the defeat to the failure of the other colonies to come to Virginia’s aid.
—
Literary Hub, 20 May 2026
Many of the strikers have gathered weapons and organized into de facto militias.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 20 May 2026
Iraqi officials do not believe that the group has used one so far in the war, and the militia does not appear to have successfully targeted any foreign aircraft.
—Shane Harris, The Atlantic, 19 May 2026
As devout Sunni Muslims, many Uyghur fighters sympathized with the largely Sunni Islamist militias, especially those that became part of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an alliance of militia groups, including Jabhat al-Nusra, which until 2016 was affiliated with al-Qaida.
—Emily Feng, NPR, 17 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for militia
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Literary Hub, 20 May 2026
Many of the strikers have gathered weapons and organized into de facto militias.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 20 May 2026
Iraqi officials do not believe that the group has used one so far in the war, and the militia does not appear to have successfully targeted any foreign aircraft.
—Shane Harris, The Atlantic, 19 May 2026
As devout Sunni Muslims, many Uyghur fighters sympathized with the largely Sunni Islamist militias, especially those that became part of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an alliance of militia groups, including Jabhat al-Nusra, which until 2016 was affiliated with al-Qaida.
—Emily Feng, NPR, 17 May 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 22 May. 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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