militia

noun

Definition of militianext
as in battalion
a group of people who are not part of the armed forces of a country but are trained like soldiers Local militia were an important part of American forces during the Revolutionary War.

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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 militia 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 The Pentagon explicitly identified those militias as one of the security challenges Baghdad will now be expected to confront. — Bradford Betz, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026 Roro is beaten and raped for seven months while trapped by the Libyan militia. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 29 Sep. 2026 Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Meskel wrote on X that Ethiopia’s pursuit of access to the sea had rattled Eritrea and Somalia, while its move to host militia training in support of Sudan's militia had put Ethiopia at odds with its neighbors. — ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for militia
Recent Examples of Synonyms for militia
  1. battalion
  2. army
  3. soldiers
  4. troops
Noun
  • Allison Fluke-Ekren, a former Kansas resident who had already organized an Islamic State group women’s center in Raqqa, became the battalion’s leader and organizer.
    — Sara Harmouch, The Conversation, 1 Oct. 2026
  • By storing blood in two battalion chief vehicles, paramedics are able to begin transfusions at the scene of a severe bleeding emergency instead of having to wait until the victim arrives at a hospital.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of battalion
Noun
  • Children—a rare sight at Trancoso’s small, intimate pousadas but welcome here—are kept busy by a discreet army of private nannies and hotel monitors.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Ted gives him an army man like Henry gave Ted when Ted first moved across the pond.
    — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of army
Noun
  • Israel says four of its soldiers have been killed by militants in Gaza over the same period.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The film, which won the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival, sees the pair interview Israeli intelligence officers and soldiers (faces concealed, voices digitally altered) on rooftops in Tel Aviv about the civilian death toll in Gaza.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of soldiers
Noun
  • Most of the 54,000 US troops in Japan, and 70% of their military facilities, are based on the island.
    — Harriet Marsden, TheWeek, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Restricting the ability of troops to leave military bases and interact with the local community is a common response by military leaders to major crimes.
    — Ben Finley, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of troops

Browse Nearby Words

military
militia
militiaman
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Cite this Entry

“Militia.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/militia. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on militia

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about militia

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