noun
Common
militia
muh-LIH-shuh
Militia (noun) means a group of ordinary citizens organised to act as soldiers, usually only called up in an emergency rather than serving as a full-time professional army. Example: “The village kept a small militia that trained at weekends and could be called out quickly.”
noun
1
A group of ordinary citizens organised to act as soldiers, usually only called up in an emergency rather than serving as a full-time professional army.
"The village kept a small militia that trained at weekends and could be called out quickly."
"Local farmers formed a militia to defend the town."
"The rebels were little more than a poorly equipped militia."
How to use militia
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA part-time or volunteer fighting force made up of ordinary people, rather than professional soldiers.
Common pairings
armed militia
militia group
form a militia
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like militia.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Plural
- militias, militiae
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The village kept a small _____ that trained at weekends and could be called out quickly.
Etymology
From Latin mīlitia, "military service," from mīles, "soldier."
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for militia
See all rhymes for militia →Frequently asked questions
What does “militia” mean?
The word “militia” means a group of ordinary citizens organised to act as soldiers, usually only called up in an emergency rather than serving as a full-time professional army. In plain terms, a part-time or volunteer fighting force made up of ordinary people, rather than professional soldiers.
How do you pronounce “militia”?
“Militia” is pronounced muh-LIH-shuh (/məˈlɪʃə/ in IPA).
How do you use “militia” in a sentence?
Here is “militia” used in a sentence: “Local farmers formed a militia to defend the town.”
What part of speech is “militia”?
“Militia” is a noun.
Where does the word “militia” come from?
The word “militia” comes from Latin. From Latin mīlitia, "military service," from mīles, "soldier.".
Is “militia” a common word?
“Militia” is a fairly common word in modern English.
What is the difference between a militia and an army?
A militia is made up of ordinary citizens organized to act as soldiers, usually called up only in an emergency, whereas an army is a permanent, full-time professional fighting force. Militia members typically hold civilian jobs and train part-time.
What is the difference between a militia and the military?
The military is a nation's official, professional armed forces, while a militia is a body of ordinary citizens who serve as soldiers on a temporary or emergency basis. A militia may support the regular military or operate separately from it.
Is a militia the same as a paramilitary group?
Not exactly. A militia is a group of ordinary citizens organized as soldiers, often with some official or community basis, while paramilitary describes forces organized like a military but outside the regular armed forces. The terms overlap, but militias are traditionally tied to emergency civilian defense.
Is militia singular or plural?
Militia is a collective noun referring to a single body of citizen-soldiers, so it usually takes a singular verb. The plural 'militias' is used when referring to more than one such group.
Featured in
Vocabulary lists that include militia:
