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

While a handful of less-influential militias have agreed to turn over their weapons, powerful groups close to Iran rejected the prospect or set conditions for disarming that the government would be unlikely to meet. — Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2026

Al-Zaidi had set Wednesday as a deadline for militias to surrender their weapons, but has since postponed it to June 2027. — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026

Baghdad has sought to bring weapons held by non-state groups under government control, but some of the most influential militias have resisted disarming. — Bradford Betz, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026

Roro is beaten and raped for seven months while trapped by the Libyan militia. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 29 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin, military service, from milit-, miles

First Known Use

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Rhymes for militia

• 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