Synonyms for
Militia
Definition
a military force that is raised from the civil population to supplement a regular army in an emergency, typically during a war.
Synonyms & similar words
Synonyms by register
Informal
Literary
Antonyms
Common collocations
- local militia
- state militia
- national guard militia
- militia group
- militia movement
- armed militia
- militia members
Word family
Usage note
Militia often refers to a military force raised from the civil population to supplement a regular army in an emergency. It can sometimes carry a connotation of being less organized or professional than a standing army.
Example sentences
- The militia was formed to help protect the town from invaders.
- The militia trained every weekend to stay ready for emergencies.
- The militia was called up to assist in disaster relief efforts.
- The militia was made up of local citizens who volunteered to serve their community.
- The town's militia had to defend against an attack from a neighboring country.
Quotes
'The right of the citizens to keep and bear arms has justly been considered, as the palladium of the liberties of a republic; since it offers a strong moral check against the usurpation and arbitrary power of rulers; and will generally, even if these are successful in the first instance, enable the people to resist and triumph over them.' - Joseph Story
'The militia is the natural defense of a free country against sudden foreign invasions, domestic insurrections, and domestic usurpation of power by rulers. It is against sound policy for a free people to keep up large military establishments and standing armies in time of peace, both from the enormous expenses, with which they are attended, and the facile means, which they afford to ambitious and unprincipled rulers, to subvert the government, or trample upon the rights of the people.' - James Madison
'I ask, sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people, except for few public officials.' - George Mason