national guard

noun

1
: a military establishment serving as a national constabulary and defense force
2
capitalized : a militia force recruited by each state of the U.S., equipped by the federal government, and jointly maintained subject to the call of either

Examples of national guard in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The situation was so dire late this summer that commanders in Kyiv had no choice but to send most of the national guard’s seven offensive brigades, including the Kara Dag brigade, to the front. David Axe, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024 Fifteen states activated national guard units, keeping them on standby and ready to respond to potential violence from rioters and extremist groups. Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 5 Nov. 2024 Between them, the army, air assault forces, marine corps, territorials and national guard have formed scores of new brigades, each with up to 2,000 troops and hundreds of vehicles. David Axe, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024 The national guard belongs to Ukraine’s interior ministry, not the military—and normally handles internal security tasks. David Axe, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for national guard 

Word History

First Known Use

1792, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of national guard was in 1792

Dictionary Entries Near national guard

Cite this Entry

“National guard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/national%20guard. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

national guard

noun
1
capitalized : a militia force recruited by each state, equipped by the federal government, and subject to the call of either
2
: a military force serving as a national police and defense force
national guardsman noun often capitalized

More from Merriam-Webster on national guard

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!