militia

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 Sybil’s father, Henry, was a militia officer in command of a company of 400 men. Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Apr. 2026 The episode prompted scandal on the political right, which accused Democrats of fueling terrorism through the funding of Iran’s proxy militias. Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026 The previous round of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, in 2023–24, devastated the militia, destroyed much of its missile and drone arsenal, and killed most of its senior battlefield commanders and political leaders. Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2026 During the Civil War, Southern California had its own pro-Confederacy secessionist militia, the Los Angeles Mounted Rifles. Horace D. Ballard, Artforum, 22 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for militia
Recent Examples of Synonyms for militia
Noun
  • On March 30, soldiers from the battalion detained a CNN team covering settler violence in the village of Tayasir in the West Bank.
    Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 28 Apr. 2026
  • The military site at Kapciamiestis covering some 14,600 hectares will allow battalion and brigade-size drills on the ground at a critical land link used by the alliance to send reinforcements to its eastern flank.
    Milda Seputyte, Bloomberg, 23 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • This man who had overseen the protection of national artworks from the advancing German army—this man wept like a child on the floor and begged his mistress not to abandon him.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 May 2026
  • Since seizing power in a 2022 coup, Burkina Faso’s junta has cracked down on political dissent and journalists, shutting down independent media outlets and forcibly conscripting dissidents into the army to fight Islamic militants.
    ABC News, ABC News, 6 May 2026
Noun
  • Palestinian eyewitnesses say Israeli soldiers were on the scene within minutes and did nothing to stop or apprehend the shooter.
    Molly Hunter, NBC news, 2 May 2026
  • The cats and the bananas, the Japanese dessert, the colorful street art, the soldiers in their marvelous uniforms—these memories are as indelible as those of the ancient ruins.
    Sarah Manguso, Travel + Leisure, 2 May 2026
Noun
  • Tiki, brought home by our troops, is a uniquely American style of decadence.
    Olivia Kan-Sperling, Artforum, 2 May 2026
  • Under the War Power Act, a president must receive congressional approval by day 60 of a war or begin removing troops.
    Michael Loria, USA Today, 2 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Militia.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/militia. Accessed 7 May. 2026.

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