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
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
as in guerrilla
Related Words
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
Babak Dehghanpisheh, NBC news, 13 May 2026
Al-Hilu's group, the SPLM-N, has been active in South Kodrofan and has joined a local government set up by the paramilitary RSF.
—ABC News, 13 May 2026
Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 2 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
Adjective
Members of the Basij paramilitary force had pushed Biglari and a handful of others into their base and confronted them there, the family member said.
—Babak Dehghanpisheh, NBC news, 13 May 2026
Al-Hilu's group, the SPLM-N, has been active in South Kodrofan and has joined a local government set up by the paramilitary RSF.
—ABC News, 13 May 2026
Noun
And on the ground in Iran, there isn’t a single group or person or movement to whom these IRGC or other police or paramilitary could surrender.
—Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 2 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
Adjective
-
Season 1 positioned Kayce in Montana, using his military background and ranch instincts to take on dangerous cases while raising Tate and overcoming grief after Monica’s tragic death.—
Jane LaCroix,
PEOPLE,
25 May 2026
-
Former service members donning white gloves carried small pine boxes from the New York State Museum in Albany and gently loaded them onto vintage military vehicles adorned with black funeral bunting and American flags for a solemn 60-mile procession north to Lake George, New York.—
Ray Sanchez,
CNN Money,
25 May 2026
Noun
-
There, the Castros led the guerrilla war that ended with the overthrow of dictator Fulgencio Batista three years later, in 1959.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
21 May 2026
-
What this means is that Ukraine has now advanced from a more guerrilla-style use of drones to a more state-level strategic air warfare capability.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
17 May 2026
Adjective
-
Both in Beijing and Washington, everything that one of the countries does is treated as proof of its aggressive intentions against the other, from strategic posture, to naval policies, to alliances and friendships, to trade policy and technology.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 May 2026
-
Expanding reach into the Pacific and Indian Ocean Chinese naval planners might use the Type 004 alongside more submarine deployments.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
26 May 2026
Noun
-
Among those killed in the flurry of strikes were five women and children and a Lebanese soldier.—
Kyla Guilfoil,
NBC news,
29 May 2026
-
The Guard’s space was designed to serve about 350 soldiers.—
Elliot Mann,
Twin Cities,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
The militant organization Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which demands independence from Pakistan’s central government, has claimed responsibility for the attack.—
Sophie Tanno,
CNN Money,
24 May 2026
-
Further symbols associated with neo-Nazism and militant accelerationism were found at the scene of the shooting, including a flag with a Sonnenrad on it and a gas can with SS bolts drawn on it, according to sources.—
Emily Shapiro,
ABC News,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
Some galaxies, known as irregulars, don't fit neatly into either mold.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
29 Sep. 2025
-
The existence of the irregulars raises an important question: How small can a galaxy get?—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
8 May 2025
Noun
-
And besides, Star Wars fans won't have to wait too much longer to be reunited with their favorite Togruta warrior.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 May 2026
-
This warrior spoke to a council of chiefs called by the British in the aftermath of the Fort Necessity fight.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
Anyone with information on the man's identity or the case can contact troopers at the state police barracks in Harrisburg at 717-671-7500.—
Michael Guise,
CBS News,
26 May 2026
-
Massachusetts State Police troopers assigned to the Plymouth DA’s office responded to 137 Micajah Pond Road, where the incident was reported.—
Flint McColgan,
Boston Herald,
23 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Paramilitary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paramilitary. Accessed 30 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
