militia

noun

Definition of militianext
as in battalion
a group of people who are not part of the armed forces of a country but are trained like soldiers Local militia were an important part of American forces during the Revolutionary War.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of militia The Pentagon explicitly identified those militias as one of the security challenges Baghdad will now be expected to confront. — 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 Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Meskel wrote on X that Ethiopia’s pursuit of access to the sea had rattled Eritrea and Somalia, while its move to host militia training in support of Sudan's militia had put Ethiopia at odds with its neighbors. — ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026 Still, Baghdad has struggled to deal with the militias within its country. — Adrienne Vogt, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for militia
Recent Examples of Synonyms for militia
  1. battalion
  2. army
  3. soldiers
  4. troops
Noun
  • By storing blood in two battalion chief vehicles, paramedics are able to begin transfusions at the scene of a severe bleeding emergency instead of having to wait until the victim arrives at a hospital.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The blasts occurred after the battalion commander leading the 18-member team decided to end the mission and withdraw because the unit was too close to the demarcation line, the Joint Chiefs said.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of battalion
Noun
  • Earlier, army bomb-disposal experts used a robot to examine the vans.
    — SYLVIA HUI, Arkansas Online, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The two armies are largely deadlocked on the long front line in eastern and southern Ukraine.
    — Susie Blann, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of army
Noun
  • Meanwhile, seven Israeli soldiers have been killed since the ceasefire.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 Sep. 2026
  • President Cyril Ramaphosa has deployed soldiers to help police combat violent crime and organized gangs.
    — Gerald Imray, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of soldiers
Noun
  • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday that Russia has effectively started a fresh wave of military mobilization, estimating that there are currently more than 8,000 North Korean troops on Russian territory.
    — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Haskins regularly performed music, and participated in two USO tours for troops in Kosovo, Macedonia, and Bosnia in 2000, and again in 2002 in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Oman, and Kyrgyzstan.
    — Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of troops

Browse Nearby Words

military
militia
militiaman
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Militia.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/militia. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on militia

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about militia

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