militia

American  

[mi-lish-uh] / mɪˈlɪʃ ə /

noun

1. a body of citizens enrolled for military service, and called out periodically for drill but serving full time only in emergencies.

2. a body of citizen soldiers as distinguished from professional soldiers.

3. all able-bodied males considered by law eligible for military service.

4. a body of citizens organized in a paramilitary group and typically regarding themselves as defenders of individual rights against the presumed interference of the federal government.

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militia British  

/ mɪˈlɪʃə /

noun

1. a body of citizen (as opposed to professional) soldiers

2. an organization containing men enlisted for service in emergency only

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Etymology

Origin of militia

1580–90; < Latin mīlitia soldiery, equivalent to mīlit- (stem of mīles ) soldier + -ia -ia

Example Sentences

Iran, he reminded me, has around 90 million people and an estimated 200,000 in the armed militia and paramilitary forces.

From Slate • Apr. 1, 2026

It is administered by Japan and claimed by China and Taiwan, with China’s coast guard and fishing militia dialing up their presence around it since 2012.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

Recruitment, he added, could take place at mosques attached to the Basij militia in Tehran, and in city squares where pro-establishment rallies have been held.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

In a 1991 interview, retired Chief Justice Warren Burger scorned the view that the Second Amendment’s right to keep and bear arms belongs to individuals rather than a collective militia.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

Similarly, after Paul Revere had passed on his news, you can imagine that all of the men in the militia movement gathered around and made plans to confront the British the following morning.

From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell