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
The Saudis countered with an air campaign and ground force composed of Yemeni pro-government paramilitary factions, Saudi and Emirati troops and mercenaries. — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026 These people, including Mohsen Rezaei, the national security adviser, and Hossein Taeb, the commander of Iran’s main domestic paramilitary forces, think deterring further attacks requires a decisive, aggressive response to any provocations. — Narges Bajoghli, Foreign Affairs, 9 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
  • During the harvesting Wednesday, the group was stopped by armed military members and police in uniform and were placed on buses, according to Lander and other volunteers who filmed the incident.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026
  • America can point to tankers still transiting Hormuz, but shipping that depends on costly military protection and remains under threat is a poor substitute for normal trade.
    — Ali Vaez, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of military
Noun
  • Another item removed was a campaign poster of Carlos Pizarro, a former leader of the M-19, a guerrilla movement that signed a peace agreement with the government in March 1989, in which its leaders were pardoned for kidnappings and other war crimes.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The indictment also describes the detention of a Venezuelan military officer in 2013 who was transported to a camp controlled by Colombia’s FARC guerrilla organization.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of guerrilla
Adjective
  • More missiles, many more options This would significantly expand the ship’s ability to protect an entire naval task group, rather than primarily concentrating on defending itself and nearby assets.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Indeed, even after modern jeans were invented in the late 19th century, denim continued to be used to make such apparel as work jackets, prison uniforms, naval fatigues, and jumpsuits.
    — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of naval
Noun
  • The murder of two Israeli soldiers in the West Bank is the jumping-off point for a large-scale invasion of the Palestinian territory, a move that would further test the nation’s fraying relationship with the United States.
    — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 24 Oct. 2026
  • In April, a US Army soldier was arrested and charged with using confidential information to make $410,000 in Polymarket bets on the timing of the military’s capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
    — Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of soldier
Adjective
  • Labour lawmaker Jo Cox was shot and stabbed in 2016 by a far-right extremist, while Conservative David Amess was stabbed in 2021 by an attacker inspired by the militant Islamic State group.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Labor lawmaker Jo Cox was shot and stabbed in 2016 by a far-right extremist, while Conservative David Amess was stabbed in 2021 by an attacker inspired by the militant Islamic State group.
    — Rod McGuirk, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 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
  • The research team intends to test other pits containing terracotta warriors and build a larger reference set of prints from ancient Chinese populations.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Since then, numerous instructors have found ways to use a chair for adapted versions of a surprising number of traditional yoga movements, like lunging warrior poses and standing-to-lying sun salutations.
    — Jennifer Heimlich, Time, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of warrior
Noun
  • Utah Highway Patrol troopers were called to the spot of the three-car crash, where traffic was slowing due to ongoing construction, the court documents said.
    — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The investigating trooper reported the weather was clear and the road dry at the time of the crash.
    — Daniel McFadin, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of trooper

Browse Nearby Words

paramilitaries
paramilitary
paramount
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Cite this Entry

“Paramilitary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paramilitary. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

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