paramilitary

adjective

para·​mil·​i·​tary ˌper-ə-ˈmi-lə-ˌter-ē 

ˌpa-rə-

: of, relating to, being, or characteristic of a force formed on a military pattern especially as a potential auxiliary military force

a paramilitary border patrol

paramilitary training

paramilitary noun

Did you know?

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

Government forces have been attacked by heavily armed paramilitary groups in several villages.

Recent Examples on the Web

In June, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyydecided to name a military unit after a Ukrainian paramilitary organization accused of massacring Poles during World War II, causing outrage in Poland. — ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026

Beyond giving Russia a foothold and a warm-water port, these bases were also vital for sustaining and resupplying its military and paramilitary operations in Africa. — Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026

After Iran’s last monarch was deposed in 1979, various paramilitary groups that helped hasten his downfall coalesced into the IRGC. — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026

The reshuffle spans Iran's conventional military, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, its naval arm, the Basij paramilitary force and the country's highest national-security council. — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 18 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1935, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for paramilitary

• beneficiary
• bronchopulmonary
• evolutionary
• expeditionary
• extramedullary
• extraordinary
• extrapulmonary
• genitourinary
• geostationary
• hepatobiliary
• illocutionary
• insurrectionary