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
Carrying the attack out through pro-Iranian militias in Iraq and not directly from Iranian territory could be an attempt by Iran to avoid another Israeli attack against strategic targets in Iran.
—
Barak Ravid, Axios, 2 Nov. 2024
Facebook is actually auto generating pages for militias.
—Leah Feiger, WIRED, 31 Oct. 2024
Hezbollah is not just a militia but almost a state of its own, more powerful than the weak and divided Lebanese government, and certainly more powerful than the Lebanese army.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2024
What's more, the militias were renamed the National Guard and unconstitutionally transformed from a check on federal power to a second federal standing army.
—Nina Turner, Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for militia 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Barak Ravid, Axios, 2 Nov. 2024
Facebook is actually auto generating pages for militias.
—Leah Feiger, WIRED, 31 Oct. 2024
Hezbollah is not just a militia but almost a state of its own, more powerful than the weak and divided Lebanese government, and certainly more powerful than the Lebanese army.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2024
What's more, the militias were renamed the National Guard and unconstitutionally transformed from a check on federal power to a second federal standing army.
—Nina Turner, Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for militia
Articles Related to militia
The Words of the Week - October 18
Dictionary lookups from the election, the night sky, and Indigenous Peoples' Day
The Words of the Week - 3/5/2021
Some of the words that defined the week ending March 5, 2021
The Words of the Week - 10/9/20
Some of the words that defined the week ending October 9, 2020
Dictionary Entries Near militia
Cite this Entry
“Militia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/militia. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share