militia

noun

mi·​li·​tia mə-ˈli-shə How to pronounce militia (audio)
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 Young Money militia is invading New Jersey in April. Michael Saponara, Billboard, 5 Mar. 2024 Israel and the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon have exchanged attacks since the start of the war in Gaza in October, while keeping the fighting somewhat contained to areas near the countries' shared border. Diego Ibarra Sánchez, NPR, 29 Feb. 2024 Adding to Iranians’ economic peril are the waves of attacks exchanged between the US and regional militias backed by Tehran. Rosa Rahimi, CNN, 28 Feb. 2024 The German warship is part of the European Union Naval Force operation that protects ships along the international trade routes against Houthi militias from Yemen. NBC News, 28 Feb. 2024 The relative quiet reflects decisions by both sides and suggests that Iran does have some level of control over the militias. Julian E. Barnes, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2024 These women were regularly substituted and replaced, so a new face in the crowd was unlikely to draw attention from the other babushkas or from the militia. Dawn Klavon, Peoplemag, 25 Feb. 2024 The only Chinese bureaucracy with more staff than the tax system is the public security apparatus, consisting of two security ministries, the People’s Armed Police, militia, the armed forces, almost all other government agencies, and a web of informants. Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 After the Houthi militia started attacking container ships in the Red Sea last year, the cost of shipping goods from Asia soared by over 300 percent, prompting fears that supply chain disruptions might once again roil the global economy. Peter Eavis, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'militia.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin, military service, from milit-, miles

First Known Use

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Time Traveler
The first known use of militia was in 1599

Dictionary Entries Near militia

Cite this Entry

“Militia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/militia. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

militia

noun
mi·​li·​tia mə-ˈlish-ə How to pronounce militia (audio)
: a body of citizens with some military training who are called to active duty only in an emergency
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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