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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Dissimilar Words

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
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 Senator Bolsonaro has documented connections to Rio’s paramilitary mafias and is under investigation for money laundering and corruption over his dealings with a disgraced banker at the center of a multibillion-dollar fraud probe. — Constance Malleret, Christian Science Monitor, 5 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
  • The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military details.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Beyond Fedorov, there is a lineup of active and former military officers who are seen as primed for leadership.
    — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of military
Noun
  • 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
  • The next day, the Colombian Army stormed the Palace and retook it, resulting in the deaths and disappearances of at least 94 people, including justices, guerrilla members, civilians and military personnel.
    — Anna Marie de la Fuente, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of guerrilla
Adjective
  • Its use during the exercise simulated an attack against an opposing naval force.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Smaller ships occupied other berths, and one tanker was loading at an offshore mooring, with a UAE naval corvette standing guard nearby.
    — semafor.com, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of naval
Noun
  • The soldiers fired tear gas at the Palestinians, not the settlers, multiple witnesses said.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The program also aims to make the systems easier for soldiers to operate, potentially allowing units outside traditional air defence formations to employ laser weapons against incoming drones.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of soldier
Adjective
  • The Israeli military said the munition was believed to belong to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 11 Oct. 2026
  • In recent months, some militant settlers are ramping up their campaign to violently drive out the Palestinians who live there -- often with impunity -- the Israeli government showing an unwillingness to crack down on the violence.
    — Lesley Stahl, CBS News, 11 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
  • Hoskins made a bright-red sport coat his sartorial trademark, often posing with a wood baseball bat and speaking about politics as a series of battles and himself as a conservative warrior.
    — Jeremy Kohler, ProPublica, 15 Oct. 2026
  • With a roster of A-list session warriors, including drummers Matt Chamberlain and Jay Bellerose, their backing band and orchestra lend a grandeur to the LP that finally matched their aesthetic ambitions and gothic lore.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of warrior
Noun
  • Colorado State Patrol troopers say not only are some drivers being charged for one DUI, but troopers are seeing issues where the same driver is getting more than one DUI.
    — Brian Sherrod, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • According to state police, the trooper allegedly spotted what looked like a firearm near the center console while speaking to Elliott-Guillory.
    — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of trooper

Browse Nearby Words

paramilitaries
paramilitary
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Cite this Entry

“Paramilitary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paramilitary. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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