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
On that day in February 1993 the militia dragged 18 Bosnian Muslim men and Buzov from the train and executed them.
—
Matthew Carey, Deadline, 2 Mar. 2025
Beijing has maintained a strong, persistent presence of ships from its navy, coast guard, and the maritime militia in the region to safeguard its core interests.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Feb. 2025
In fact, the path ran through Lebanon, where Hezbollah, the Shiite militia that Iran had set up in 1982, battled Israel’s occupying army and staged huge attacks against U.S. and French troops.
—Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025
The war between Hezbollah and Israel broke out in October 2023 after the Lebanese militia started firing on Israeli military positions in solidarity with its Palestinian ally, Hamas, in Gaza.
—Christina Goldbaum, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2025
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.
Matthew Carey, Deadline, 2 Mar. 2025
Beijing has maintained a strong, persistent presence of ships from its navy, coast guard, and the maritime militia in the region to safeguard its core interests.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Feb. 2025
In fact, the path ran through Lebanon, where Hezbollah, the Shiite militia that Iran had set up in 1982, battled Israel’s occupying army and staged huge attacks against U.S. and French troops.
—Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025
The war between Hezbollah and Israel broke out in October 2023 after the Lebanese militia started firing on Israeli military positions in solidarity with its Palestinian ally, Hamas, in Gaza.
—Christina Goldbaum, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2025
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
Cite this Entry
“Militia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/militia. Accessed 19 Mar. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share