Words / B2

m-uh-LISH-uh/məˈlɪʃə/

A militia is an armed group of civilians, not a regular army: a local militia; militia fighters. Army is the state force (already in the dictionary); guerrilla stresses irregular tactics. Distinguish militia from the national army. Mix-up: military is the adjective/noun for armed forces (already elsewhere); militant is confrontational (already elsewhere). Do not call a police unit a militia.

Meaning

An armed group of civilians, not a regular army.

Examples

• “The source distinguishes a militia from the national army.”
• “A colonial militia featured in the history paper, which is the citizen-soldiers sense.”

Good to know

a militia; militia forces / fighters. State twin: army. Trap: military / militant. History and news. Civilian fighters, not the regular forces.

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