# militia

Pronunciation: say "muh-LISH-uh" /məˈlɪʃə/

## Noun

1. A force of trained civilians serving as an official reserve army, the whole able-bodied population called up in an emergency, or a private armed group outside government control.
   - Simple: A group of ordinary people who train to fight and can be called on to defend their area when needed.
   - _The colonial militia mustered at dawn, drawn entirely from local townsfolk and tradesmen._
   - _After the coup, a private militia seized several districts without any official authority._
2. The national police force in certain countries, such as Belarus.
   - Simple: The police force in some countries, such as Belarus.
   - _The militia detained several demonstrators in central Minsk overnight._
   - _Officers of the militia checked travelers' documents at the border crossing._

## Origin

From Latin mīlitia ("army, military force or service"), which derives from mīles ("soldier"). Using "militia" instead of "police" for the police force of Belarus and some other countries began in the USSR.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/militia (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).