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paramilitary

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

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. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for paramilitary

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

  1. a paramilitary force
  2. 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