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

Or saw the National Guard put up an armed roadblock in the middle of a shopping district last year during federal immigration raids, just blocks from my wife’s market and deli.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026

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 the hotel.

From BBC ● Jul. 4, 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

And the National Guard, established in 1916, has a deep history and tradition of its own.

From Salon ● Jul. 1, 2026

He paddled up Claiborne, the wind and rain fighting him, to the Memorial Medical Center, where he knew there were police and National Guard soldiers stationed.

From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers