paramilitary 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of paramilitarynext
as in military
of or relating to a group that is not an official army but that operates and is organized like an army Government forces have been attacked by heavily armed paramilitary groups in several villages. a paramilitary police force

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paramilitary

2 of 2

noun

as in guerrilla

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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 paramilitary
Adjective
But her denial of accusations that the UAE is fuelling the civil war in Sudan by supporting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has caused criticism. — Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 30 Oct. 2026 The other was Albrecht Hohler, thirty, a Communist member of the paramilitary group the Red Front Fighters and well known locally as a particularly vicious thug—a petty criminal who had been released from jail only a few months earlier. — Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2026
Noun
Among them was the late supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, creating a power vacuum largely filled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a powerful paramilitary, political and economic group. — Alexander Smith, NBC news, 30 Mar. 2026 Advertisement When Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, then the relatively unknown mayor of Tehran, was propelled to the presidency in 2005, Mojtaba Khamenei was thought to have orchestrated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Basij paramilitary’s support for his candidacy. — Kay Armin Serjoie, Time, 9 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for paramilitary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paramilitary
  1. military
  2. guerrilla
  3. naval
  4. soldier
  5. militant
  6. irregular
  7. warrior
  8. trooper
Adjective
  • Three years later, the ban was lifted for all military roles.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Nov. 2026
  • The technology could also have applications beyond military operations.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 12 Nov. 2026
Definition of military
Noun
  • Led by Michael Collins, the paramilitary group employed a guerrilla campaign of ambushes, raids, and sabotage against the British.
    — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 Nov. 2026
  • Director Avildsen, Stallone and the filmmaking team took a guerrilla-style approach to Rocky, filming in public places on location in Philadelphia often without permits.
    — Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of guerrilla
Adjective
  • Washington’s naval blockade and financial and commercial sanctions on Tehran have already taken a toll on Iran’s economy and military supply chains.
    — Charles Kupchan, Foreign Affairs, 13 Nov. 2026
  • Elsewhere, Iran's Revolutionary Guard said a tanker caught fire early Wednesday after striking a naval mine while traveling along an unauthorized route through the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state media reported.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Nov. 2026
Definition of naval
Noun
  • Moïse was shot to death in his second floor bedroom, and his wife Martine was seriously injured after the squad of Colombian former soldiers stormed his residence in the middle of the night.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 13 Nov. 2026
  • During the final decades of Mobutu’s rule, civil servants across the country—soldiers, police officers, doctors and teachers—were paid a pittance.
    — Anthony W. Gambino, Time, 13 Nov. 2026
Definition of soldier
Adjective
  • Some reports have alleged tacit cooperation between Ansar Allah and the Al-Shabab militant group in Somalia as well.
    — Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2026
  • Eisenkot has laid out a series of conditions for any Arab party to join his coalition, including recognition of Israel as a Jewish state and declaring the Palestinian militant group Hamas a terrorist organization.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of militant
Noun
  • Setting off in pursuit was José María Zuloaga, a taciturn lieutenant colonel in the Mexican army supported by a band of irregulars.
    — Carolina A. Miranda, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2026
  • Some galaxies, known as irregulars, don't fit neatly into either mold.
    — Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 29 Sep. 2025
Definition of irregular
Noun
  • Five of the Dark Wizard’s Gaudrim warriors show up to say that their master has accepted an alliance between Mordor and Rhûn.
    — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 11 Nov. 2026
  • This is no accident, and no mere thank-you for their service; Putin is building a warrior class whose prestige, prospects and place in the Russian establishment derive from participation in his war in Ukraine.
    — David Averre, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of warrior
Noun
  • According to Higgins, Connecticut currently faces a shortage of hundreds of police officers and troopers and struggles to fill its police and fire academies.
    — Maia Nehme, Hartford Courant, 12 Nov. 2026
  • State prosecutors say that in April 2026, Michigan State Police troopers and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives went to a home in Inkster to execute a search warrant when Wilson allegedly fled the home at high speed.
    — DeJanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of trooper

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Paramilitary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paramilitary. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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