paramilitary

American  

[par-uh-mil-i-ter-ee] / ˌpær əˈmɪl ɪˌtɛr i /

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.

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noun

plural

paramilitaries

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

paramilitary British  

/ 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

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noun

1. 1. a paramilitary force

   2. a member of such a force

Etymology

Origin of paramilitary

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

Explanation

A group that's described as being paramilitary resembles an organized army. During the American Revolutionary War, the minutemen were a paramilitary group that fought in the earliest battles. When civilians organize themselves (or are organized) into a group that appears to be military, or that assists actual military troops, that's a paramilitary organization. You can also call it, simply, a paramilitary. The early twentieth century word combines the prefix para-, "near" or "resembling," and military, from its Latin root militaris, "of soldiers or war."

Example Sentences

“There has been no change in the management of the Strait of Hormuz,” Sardar Mohebbi, a spokesman for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said according to Tasnim, a news agency affiliated with the paramilitary group.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026

Mali's army has been working with the Russian paramilitary group, the Africa Corps, which emerged from the Wagner Group, against the insurgents.

From BBC • Apr. 30, 2026

John Kani was on his way to joining the Umkhonto We Sizwe paramilitary wing in 1965 when he took a detour to a Serpent Players drama group rehearsal in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026

Security was tight in the Pakistani capital on Saturday, with a heavy police and paramilitary presence on the streets and road diversions around the "red zone" where government and diplomatic buildings are located.

From Barron's • Apr. 11, 2026

Komsomol-sponsored activities and paramilitary training through the Osoaviakhim helped young people to prove their Communist Party loyalty.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein