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

Most of the latest atrocities have been blamed on the RSF and their Janjaweed allies — Arab militias that were notorious for atrocities in the early 2000s against people identifying as East or Central African in Darfur. —ABC News, 14 Apr. 2026

Since then, the group’s claims and posts have been circulated in Telegram and X channels affiliated with pro-Iranian militias and pro-Iranian news outlets. —Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 11 Apr. 2026

Advertisement In November 2023, during the early stages of the Israel-Hamas war, Yemen’s Houthi militia began targeting commercial vessels in the Red Sea, disrupting flows through the Bab el-Mandeb. —Tiago Ventura, Time, 9 Apr. 2026

Israel then launched a ground invasion into southern Lebanon, which is believed to be the headquarters of Hezbollah, a Shiite militia and political party in Lebanon tied to suicide bombings and other attacks. —Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 9 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