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

In January this year, the United States accused the RSF militia of committing genocide. —Aditi Sangal, CNN Money, 16 Dec. 2025

The porous border allows the TTP and other militants to retreat and regroup, while local militias and drone strikes may further destabilize the region. —Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025

Syria has also grappled with outbreaks of sectarian violence this year, most notably in Sweida, where Druze militias, Sunni Bedouin tribes and Syrian government forces engaged in violent clashes. —Ashley Carnahan, FOXNews.com, 9 Dec. 2025

For years, Shahed-136 and Shahed-131 drones have been deployed by Iran’s militia network across the Middle East and by Russia in its assault on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure. —Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 8 Dec. 2025

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