militia

[ mi-lish-uh ]
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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.

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

  2. 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.

Origin of militia

1
1580–90; <Latin mīlitia soldiery, equivalent to mīlit- (stem of mīles) soldier + -ia-ia

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How to use militia in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for militia

militia

/ (mɪˈlɪʃə) /


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

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

Origin of militia

1
C16: from Latin: soldiery, from mīles soldier

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012