militia
Other forms: militias
If you live in a remote place that's under attack by an upstart band of thieves, start a militia. A militia is a band of civilians trained to do army type business, without officially joining the army.
Militia comes from mīlet-, Latin for "soldier," but the word now refers to a band of fighters who aren't officially soldiers. Sometimes militias add on to regular army forces, like the citizen's militias who fought alongside regular troops in the Revolutionary War. But you'll frequently hear militia if you're listening to news about dangerously violent parts of the world where, instead of voting for change, groups form militias and fight for political power. It's also a verb: to militia.
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civilians trained as soldiers but not part of the regular army
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synonyms:
reserves
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types:
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SA, Storm Troops, Sturmabteilung
Nazi militia created by Hitler in 1921 that helped him to power but was eclipsed by the SS after 1943
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trainband
a company of militia in England or America from the 16th century to the 18th century
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type of:
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force, military force, military group, military unit
a unit that is part of some military service
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SA, Storm Troops, Sturmabteilung
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the entire body of physically fit civilians eligible by law for military service“their troops were untrained militia”“"Congress shall have power to provide for calling forth the militia"--United States Constitution”
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type of:
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body
a group of persons associated by some common tie or occupation and regarded as an entity
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body
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Vocabulary lists containing militia
Learn these words to better understand the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution ratified by Congress on December 15, 1791. Read the full text here.
If you're spoiling for a fight, learn these words from the Latin roots belli ("war") and milit ("soldier").
Declare your independence and master these words related to the American Revolution. Learn all about the conflict between the colonists and the redcoats, from the Boston Tea Party to the British surrender at Yorktown. Explore causes of the war and review major battles, key historical figures, and the structure of the new American republic.