militia

noun

mi·​li·​tia mə-ˈli-shə 

plural militias

1

a

: a part of the organized armed forces of a country liable to call only in emergency

The militia was called to quell the riot.

b

: a body of citizens organized for military service

2

: the whole body of able-bodied male citizens declared by law as being subject to call to military service

3

: a private group of armed individuals that operates as a paramilitary force and is typically motivated by a political or religious ideology

specifically : such a group that aims to defend individual rights against government authority that is perceived as oppressive

Examples of militia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Led by the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front, the militias of Ethiopia’s largest regions of Amhara and Oromia have also pledged their support. — Cameron Hudson, semafor.com, 5 Oct. 2026

While a handful of less-influential militias have agreed to turn over their weapons, powerful groups close to Iran rejected the prospect or set conditions for disarming that the government would be unlikely to meet. — Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2026

Yet even as the Houthis have emerged as Iran’s most powerful regional ally, the militia whose capabilities Iran has done so much to build might be the least responsive to Iranian direction. — Dominique Soguel, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Oct. 2026

Al-Zaidi had set Wednesday as a deadline for militias to surrender their weapons, but has since postponed it to June 2027. — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin, military service, from milit-, miles

First Known Use

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Rhymes for militia

• vicia

Kids Definition

militia

noun

mi·​li·​tia mə-ˈlish-ə 

: a body of citizens with some military training who are called to active duty only in an emergency