Militia Meaning
/məˈlɪʃə/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounAn army of trained civilians, which may be an official reserve army, called upon in time of need, the entire able-bodied population of a state which may also be called upon, or a private force not under government control.
nounSynonym of militsia: the national police force of certain countries (e.g. Belarus).
Sentence Examples
The Mahdi Army is a private militia in Iraq.
The militia was formed to defend citizens in an emergency.
He said he would call out the state militia if the rebels did not surrender.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The untrained villagers formed a ____ to defend their homes from the invaders.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The local volunteer ____ was formed by the townspeople to provide additional defense during times of emergency or outside threat.
Word Origin & History
From Latin mīlitia (“army, military force/service”), from mīles (“soldier”). Doublet of militsia. The use of "militia" rather than "police" to refer to the police force (of Belarus and some other countries) originated in the USSR.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"He coasts down to a dead stop in the middle of the channel, makes a scan for militia men and wireheads, and finds none."
— 1992, Neal Stephenson, Snow Crash, page 387:
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CEFR Practice Quiz
The untrained villagers formed a ____ to defend their homes from the invaders.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The local volunteer ____ was formed by the townspeople to provide additional defense during times of emergency or outside threat.