paramilitary
adjective
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This term paramilitary can take in a wide range of organizations, but is usually applied to forces formed by a government. Groups opposing a government, even when organized along military lines, are more often referred to as guerrillas or insurgents. In countries with weak central governments (such as, in recent times, Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq, or Congo), warlords may form their own paramilitary forces and take over all local police and military functions. Paramilitary often has a sinister sound today, since it's also applied to groups of off-duty military or police personnel who carry out illegal violence, often at night, with the quiet support of a government.
Examples of paramilitary in a Sentence
Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026
People are starving to death in Sudan because of the food shortages caused by the fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
—William Lambers, Hartford Courant, 19 Jan. 2026
Some civilian groups deliberately distracted armed paramilitary gangs so others could hide the receipts in their clothing and smuggle them out of polling stations.
—Helena Carpio, Time, 16 Jan. 2026
The only body that has come out in force in the wake of the bombardment are the colectivos—paramilitary groups that monitor the roads on motorcycles.
—Armando Ledezma, New Yorker, 14 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Paramilitary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paramilitary. Accessed 25 Jan. 2026.
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