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

During the Civil War, Southern California had its own pro-Confederacy secessionist militia, the Los Angeles Mounted Rifles. —Horace D. Ballard, Artforum, 22 Apr. 2026

In the recent war, key Iraqi militia leaders appeared to step back from the latest phase and didn't appear to be directly involved in operations, Knights said. —ABC News, 21 Apr. 2026

Hezbollah, Hamas, and various militia networks in Iraq operate as extensions of Iranian influence, funded in part by these opaque energy revenues. —Gaurav Srivastava, The Washington Examiner, 19 Apr. 2026

The members of the Minutemen each portray a different individual in history who was really fought in the militia. —Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 18 Apr. 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