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

Stephano Wieu De Mialek, the chief administrator of Ruweng Administrative Area, said on Sunday that the assault was conducted by elements linked to the White Army militia alongside forces affiliated with Machar's Sudan People's Liberation Movement-in-Opposition. —Arkansas Online, 3 Mar. 2026

But on the other hand, Khamenei and his militia have killed over like 20,000 people in the last protest alone. —Alan Gionet, CBS News, 3 Mar. 2026

Kigali is accused of having funded the M23 militia that has taken over mineral-rich areas of the DRC and sowed instability across the country. —Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 3 Mar. 2026

In January, the IRGC—the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, along with the paramilitary Basij militia—killed as many as 30,000 Iranian protesters during the most brutal crackdown in the history of this violent regime. —George Packer, The Atlantic, 2 Mar. 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