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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Recent Examples of militia
In May 2008, the radical Shia militia conducted an urban military coup against the pro-Western government and seized full power until the Israel-Iran war, known as the 12-day war of 2025.
—
Benjamin Weinthal, FOXNews.com, 6 Feb. 2026
An armed security detail stood guard outside the encampment, with rifle-wielding activists in the militia vetting all who entered.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 4 Feb. 2026
Early in the republic’s history, under President George Washington, a federal militia suffered a massive defeat at the hands of Native American tribes at the Battle of Wabash in 1791.
—Claire Leavitt, The Conversation, 4 Feb. 2026
After the fall of Tripoli, Saif al-Islam Gadhafi evaded capture for several months before being detained in November 2011 by a militia in the western Libyan city of Zintan.
—Nic Robertson, CNN Money, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for militia
Benjamin Weinthal, FOXNews.com, 6 Feb. 2026
An armed security detail stood guard outside the encampment, with rifle-wielding activists in the militia vetting all who entered.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 4 Feb. 2026
Early in the republic’s history, under President George Washington, a federal militia suffered a massive defeat at the hands of Native American tribes at the Battle of Wabash in 1791.
—Claire Leavitt, The Conversation, 4 Feb. 2026
After the fall of Tripoli, Saif al-Islam Gadhafi evaded capture for several months before being detained in November 2011 by a militia in the western Libyan city of Zintan.
—Nic Robertson, CNN Money, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for militia
Recent Examples of Synonyms for militia
Noun
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President Bola Tinubu’s office said in a statement late Wednesday that a Nigerian army battalion will be deployed to Kwara’s Kaiama area, where the attack happened.—
Ope Adetayo,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
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Netherlands Ministry of Defense Last year, Norway's Princess Ingrid Alexandria finished 15-months of service as a gunner in an engineering battalion.—
Frank Andrews,
CBS News,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Its army chief of staff said between 5,000 and 8,000 troops were preparing to deploy.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Feb. 2026
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Fleeing into the desert with her father, she is hunted by a merciless army and forced to trust a legendary bandit (Mackie) with secrets of his own.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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In the song’s video, a now familiar montage of protests and lockdown notices is intercut with shots of Mount Rushmore and soldiers waving flags.—
Mitch Therieau,
New Yorker,
7 Feb. 2026
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Credit still flows to soldiers and sailors.—
Carter Dougherty,
Mercury News,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Pakistan often accuses Afghanistan, where the Taliban seized power again in August 2021 as American and NATO troops were withdrawing after a 20-year war, of harboring militants and members of the Pakistani Taliban.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Feb. 2026
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It is believed to have thousands of missiles and drones that could target US troops and assets in the Middle East.—
Nadeen Ebrahim,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Militia.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/militia. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
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