paramilitary

[par-uh-mil-i-ter-ee]

adjective

1. noting or pertaining to an organization operating as, in place of, or as a supplement to a regular military force.

   a paramilitary police unit.

noun

plural

paramilitaries 

1. Also paramilitarist a person employed in such a force.

paramilitary

/ ˌpærəˈmɪlɪtərɪ, -trɪ /

adjective

1. denoting or relating to a group of personnel with military structure functioning either as a civil force or in support of military forces

2. denoting or relating to a force with military structure conducting armed operations against a ruling or occupying power

noun

1. 1. a paramilitary force

   2. a member of such a force

Word History and Origins

Origin of paramilitary¹

First recorded in 1930–35; para- ¹ + military

Example Sentences

The act's fatal flaw was a conditional immunity clause - later ruled unlawful - which could have been used by ex-soldiers, or former paramilitaries.

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Iraq's government criticised last month the sanctions which also targeted the Al-Muhandis company, a firm with links to the Hashed al-Shaabi -- former paramilitary units that have been integrated into the regular security forces.

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Fletcher was speaking to AFP in the Chadian capital following a visit to Darfur just across the border, where last month the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces seized the army's last regional stronghold of El-Fasher.

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Senesh connected with the Haganah, the Jewish paramilitary organization that had been formed to protect Jews in the British Mandate.

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The African Corps unit of the Russian defence ministry took over from the Wagner paramilitary group across the continent, diplomatic sources in the Sahel region told AFP in June.

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