paramilitary
adjective
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This term paramilitary can take in a wide range of organizations, but is usually applied to forces formed by a government. Groups opposing a government, even when organized along military lines, are more often referred to as guerrillas or insurgents. In countries with weak central governments (such as, in recent times, Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq, or Congo), warlords may form their own paramilitary forces and take over all local police and military functions. Paramilitary often has a sinister sound today, since it's also applied to groups of off-duty military or police personnel who carry out illegal violence, often at night, with the quiet support of a government.
Examples of paramilitary in a Sentence
ABC News, 15 June 2026
Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said sites hit included a manufacturing complex, a military barracks and a local Guard base outside Tehran.
—Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
Much of Tuesday's unrest took place in working-class areas where former paramilitary groups continue to wield influence.
—Bradford Betz, FOXNews.com, 10 June 2026
But those figures only account for fighting between government forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
—Kate Bartlett, NPR, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for paramilitary
Cite this Entry
“Paramilitary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paramilitary. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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