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

Gunfire echoed through Tehran Tuesday as heavily armed militias were deployed across the Iranian capital, transforming some districts into fortified zones under intense security. —Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 21 Jan. 2026

Over the weekend, the Syrian military, aided by tribal militias, drove Kurdish forces out of large swaths of northeastern Syria that the SDF had controlled for more than a decade. —Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 20 Jan. 2026

Washington sent troops to Pennsylvania to quell the protest under the Militia Act of 1792, which allowed the president to organize state militias in times of crisis. —Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 20 Jan. 2026

In a major blow, instead of the previous agreement where SDF militias would be integrated into the Syrian armed forces, they must now be dissolved, and instead, individual fighters will join the armed forces. —Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 18 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin, military service, from milit-, miles

First Known Use

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Rhymes for militia

• adventitia
• vicia

Kids 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