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
The last major pro-democracy movement was squelched in 2018, when police and pro-government paramilitary groups killed 362 protesters in what the United Nations said amounted to crimes against humanity. — Ismael López, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2026 The war erupted in April 2023 after former allies Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, leader of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), fell out in a power struggle. — Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
Noun
A number of police stations, locations related to the security forces — including the Basij paramilitary — and intelligence facilities across Tehran have been targeted by airstrikes, CBS News producer in Tehran, Seyed Bathei, reports. — CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026 Golshan Fathi, a woman living in Tehran, said the Basij paramilitary, which played a key role in the bloody crushing of mass protests last month, was showing a heavy presence in the streets of the capital. — Arkansas Online, 2 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 system, developed to protect airbases and other military facilities, cannot currently detect or jam some frequencies used by newer Chinese drones and has limited protection against emerging threats.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 16 Aug. 2026
  • An Iranian military official said that Qatar has been delaying a probe into the fate of three pilots, whom Iran says have been held there for months, according to state media.
    — Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of military
Noun
  • The most visible example might be a series of viral art pieces by the guerilla art group the Secret Handshake that keep appearing on the Mall.
    — Kelsey Ables, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2026
  • And, earlier this month, de la Espriella broke from precedent by giving his first post-inauguration speech at a military base in Cali that had recently been attacked, allegedly by guerrillas, instead of in Bogotá.
    — Daniel Castro, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of guerrilla
Adjective
  • Iran’s oil exports have been severely limited by the US naval blockade.
    — Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026
  • The recommendation comes as China expands its naval capabilities and faces growing competition with other major powers.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of naval
Noun
  • Just a few years earlier, in 2005, the service had missed essentially the same recruiting target by 6,600 soldiers.
    — Steven Beynon, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Two soldiers were killed, one of them his friend, Staff Sergeant Anthony Lagman.
    — Anderson Cooper, CBS News, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of soldier
Adjective
  • That 2023 event saw Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups kill 1,195 Israelis and foreign nationals and abduct 251 people.
    — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 22 Aug. 2026
  • In early September, 1972, a Palestinian militant group called Black September infiltrated the Olympic Games in Munich and killed eleven Israeli athletes.
    — Rozina Ali, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 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
  • One hundred and fifty years ago, Crazy Horse helped lead his warriors in the Battle of Little Bighorn.
    — John Lauritsen, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • In this by-election, Farage has only proven his ability to defeat an intergalactic space warrior with an upturned trash can on his head.
    — Reagan Yip, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of warrior
Noun
  • The suspect, identified by police as 39-year-old Chad Hickman, fled the scene before troopers arrived, prompting a manhunt.
    — Reuters, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The suspect, identified by the agency as 39-year-old Chad Hickman, left the scene before troopers arrived, resulting in a large-scale manhunt.
    — Nicholas Lentz, CBS News, 15 Aug. 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 23 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on paramilitary

Nglish: Translation of paramilitary for Spanish Speakers

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