militia
muh-LISH-uh
/mɪˈlɪʃ.ə/
A military force raised from the civil population to supplement a regular army in an emergency.
Emphasizes citizen-soldiers taking up arms for local or regional defense rather than full-time career soldiers.
The story behind the word. From Latin 'militia', meaning military service, warfare, or body of soldiers, derived from 'miles' (soldier). In late Middle English, it referred to military service generally, before shifting in the 17th century to describe non-professional citizen soldiers.
Word relationships
- citizen-soldiery: Emphasizes the civic duty and civilian status of the fighters.
- minutemen: Refers specifically to Colonial American militia members pledged to be ready for action at a minute's notice.
- standing army: A permanent full-time professional military force maintained by a sovereign state.
Commonly confused with
- mercenary: A militia acts out of civic defense or ideological solidarity, while a mercenary fights primarily for personal financial gain.
Word family
- militiaman (noun): An individual member of a militia force.
Collocations
- local militia
- militia movement
- militia commander
- citizen militia
Example sentences
- "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." Constitutional document (United States Constitution, Second Amendment (1791))
- "Town residents organized a local militia to defend their farmland against roving bands of raiders." Historical narrative
Memory hook
Militia = Military formed from ordinary civilians. Civilians taking up arms.
When not to use
Do not use for professional full-time army personnel or hired foreign mercenaries.
Fun facts
- In colonial North America, militia duty was compulsory for most adult males, who were expected to maintain their own muskets and powder.
Related words
Also appears in
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