paramilitary

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

/ ˌpær əˈmɪl ɪˌtɛr i /

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adjective

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 par·a·mil·i·tar·ies.

Also par·a·mil·i·ta·rist

[par-uh-mil-i-ter-ist]. /ˌpær əˈmɪl ɪ tər ɪst/. a person employed in such a force.

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Origin of paramilitary

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

Words nearby paramilitary

parametric equations, parametric statistics, parametritis, parametrium, parametrize, paramilitary, paramimia, paramita, paramnesia, paramo, paramorph

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use paramilitary in a sentence

Children did become co-opted into various paramilitary organizations during the conflict.
The Complex History Behind Belfast—and Its Echoes in Present-Day Northern Ireland|Alison Garden|November 11, 2021|Time
Perhaps all this is best understood as a spectrum moving from “parliamentary” to “paramilitary.”
Nancy Pelosi has backed Kevin McCarthy into a corner|Greg Sargent|July 2, 2021|Washington Post
While members use the jargon and trappings of a paramilitary organization, in practice the group is made up of loosely connected chapters united by a right-wing ideology.
Armed ‘quick reaction force’ was waiting for order to storm Capitol, Justice Dept. says|Rachel Weiner, Spencer Hsu|April 14, 2021|Washington Post
Since its inception, the IRGC has nurtured militancy and supported a range of paramilitary groups.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard Is Radicalizing Young Men Across the Middle East. The U.S. Needs a Counterinsurgency Strategy|Kasra Aarabi|February 11, 2021|Time

She added a photo of Crowl in paramilitary gear and an Oath Keepers patch as “one of my guys,” and the pair allegedly took a selfie in video recorded in the Capitol Rotunda, the FBI said.
Self-styled militia members planned on storming the U.S. Capitol days in advance of Jan. 6 attack, court documents say|Spencer Hsu, Tom Jackman, Devlin Barrett|January 20, 2021|Washington Post
Jobbik, whose paramilitary militia faction was banned in 2009, won 20 percent of the national vote in April.
In Hands of Hungarian Artist, Jewish Home Movies of the ’30s a Warning of Coming Holocaust|Daniel Genis|October 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I condemn this action from the viewpoint of the Guards and the [paramilitary] Basij.
Acid Attacks on Women Spread Terror in Iran|IranWire|October 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
According to its spokesman, the Nasser Salahuddin Brigades are the third-largest paramilitary group in Gaza.
A Who’s Who of Iran’s Favorite Palestinian Terrorists|IranWire|August 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A paramilitary group he formed took credit last week for two gangland-style shootings of pro-Russian separatists.
Ukraine’s Chocolate King Wins|Jamie Dettmer|May 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The conflict is up close and personal for the paramilitary fighters.
Nigeria’s Do-It-Yourself Boko Haram Busters|Nina Strochlic|May 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Paramilitary programs of Party-sponsored youth organizations are similar in many ways to those in the school system.
Area Handbook for Albania|Eugene K. Keefe

British Dictionary definitions for paramilitary

paramilitary

/ (ˌpærəˈmɪlɪtərɪ, -trɪ) /

adjective

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

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

noun

a paramilitary force
a member of such a force

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012