militia
[ mi-lish-uh ]
/ mɪˈlɪʃ ə /
noun
a body of citizens enrolled for military service, and called out periodically for drill but serving full time only in emergencies.
a body of citizen soldiers as distinguished from professional soldiers.
all able-bodied males considered by law eligible for military service.
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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Origin of militia
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for militia
British Dictionary definitions for militia
militia
/ (mɪˈlɪʃə) /
noun
a body of citizen (as opposed to professional) soldiers
an organization containing men enlisted for service in emergency only
Word Origin for militia
C16: from Latin: soldiery, from mīles soldier
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for militia
militia
1580s, "system of military discipline," from Latin militia "military service, warfare," from miles "soldier" (see military). Sense of "citizen army" (as distinct from professional soldiers) is first recorded 1690s, perhaps from a sense in French cognate milice. In U.S. history, "the whole body of men declared by law amenable to military service, without enlistment, whether armed and drilled or not" (1777).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper