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 Essentially, they were locked out by these militia cyber actors. — CBS News, 9 Aug. 2026 Although China’s maritime militia fleet regularly harasses other countries’ small and vulnerable fishing boats, the container ships and bulk carriers responsible for Taiwan’s commerce dwarf any Chinese militia vessel. — Eugene Gholz, Foreign Affairs, 4 Aug. 2026 The rebellion killed 60 people and required a 3,000-man militia to stop it. — USA Today, 4 Aug. 2026 American and Saudi aircraft answered in Iraq, striking targets across seven provinces, where the Popular Mobilization Forces—militias funded by, and loyal to Tehran—counted 20 dead. — Bobby Ghosh, Time, 3 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for militia
Recent Examples of Synonyms for militia
  1. battalion
  2. army
  3. soldiers
  4. troops
Noun
  • Throughout his career, Grove has been a firefighter, lieutenant, captain, battalion chief and Deputy Chief of Operations.
    — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The King made a point to greet Corporal Cruachan and his handler during his inspection of the battalion, and the pony appeared to remain well-behaved.
    — Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of battalion
Noun
  • Wars cannot be fought on ideology alone – a truism that perhaps led to the firebrand former defense minister’s departure, after months of clashes and refusing to deal with the army top brass, as Zelensky describes it.
    — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
  • And because intelligence exists in isolated fragments across different systems, companies end up deploying armies of employees whose primary, manual job is just interpretation.
    — Filip Popovic, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of army
Noun
  • Back in the sunflower field, once the drones were airborne, the soldiers packed up their equipment and drove away, leaving hardly any traces of their activity.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The former defense minister acknowledged the difficulties of holding a vote during the war, including how to ensure soldiers, people who live near the front line and Ukrainians who fled the war can cast their ballots.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of soldiers
Noun
  • Although Ukraine first warned that North Korean troops were using attack drones on their territory last October, this is the first indication the new wave of troops will have this capability.
    — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Some still laden with weapons, the ships belonged to Nazi Germany's Black Sea fleet that was deliberately sunk near the end of the war as German troops retreated from Romania and Soviet forces advanced deeper into Europe.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 20 Aug. 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 23 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on militia

Nglish: Translation of militia for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about militia

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