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 think tank added that the group has had to contend with militia groups trying to elbow their way into territory in recent years, as well as mass police raids, especially since the pandemic.
—
Rebecca Schneid, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
Those militias first emerged in 2014 to help the Iraqi army fight the ISIS insurgency.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 28 Oct. 2025
The group emerged from the Arab Janjaweed militia, which was responsible for the genocide in Darfur during the early 2000s.
—Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 28 Oct. 2025
The government - which has been fighting a civil war against the militia since 2023 - has yet to confirm this.
—NPR, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for militia
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Rebecca Schneid, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
Those militias first emerged in 2014 to help the Iraqi army fight the ISIS insurgency.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 28 Oct. 2025
The group emerged from the Arab Janjaweed militia, which was responsible for the genocide in Darfur during the early 2000s.
—Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 28 Oct. 2025
The government - which has been fighting a civil war against the militia since 2023 - has yet to confirm this.
—NPR, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for militia
Cite this Entry
“Militia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/militia. Accessed 31 Oct. 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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