National Guard

American  

noun

1. state military forces, in part equipped, trained, and quartered by the U.S. government, and paid by the U.S. government, that become an active component of the army when called into federal service by the president in civil emergencies.

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National Guard British  

noun

1. (sometimes not capitals) the armed force, first commanded by Lafayette, that was established in France in 1789 and existed intermittently until 1871

2. (in the US) a state military force that can be called into federal service by the president

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National Guard Cultural  

1. The volunteer military forces of each state, which the governor of a state can summon in times of civil disorder or natural disaster. Through congressional and presidential order, the National Guard can be called into service in the regular United States army.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

National Guard

As a result, members of Mexico's National Guard lined the entrance to England's hotel, while police officers in riot gear stood next to barriers on the road outside.

From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026

The court also ruled in December that the president did not have the power to put National Guard troops on the streets of Chicago.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026

National Guard troops have been spotted in the vicinity of the venue in recent days, a not uncommon sight under a state-level deployment to secure major venues and transit hubs in the Big Apple.

From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026

Which sounds an awful lot like the National Guard.

From Salon ● Jul. 1, 2026

But knowing that Zeitoun’s ordeal was caused instead by systemic ignorance and malfunction—and perhaps long-festering paranoia on the part of the National Guard and whatever other agencies were involved—was unsettling.

From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers