militia

The definition of a militia is an army made up of regular citizens called to respond during an emergency.

(noun)

An example of a militia is the Minutemen who volunteer to protect the U.S border.

See militia in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

1. Archaic any military force
2. later, any army composed of citizens rather than professional soldiers, called up in time of emergency
☆ in the U.S., all able-bodied male citizens between 18 and 45 years old who are not already members of the regular armed forces: members of the National Guard and of the Reserves (of the Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, Navy, and Marine Corps) constitute the ; all others, the
any of various disaffected groups of citizens that are organized as to resemble an army and that oppose the authority of the federal government

Origin: L, military service, soldiery < miles (gen. militis), soldier

Related Forms:

See militia in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

An army composed of ordinary citizens rather than professional soldiers.
A military force that is not part of a regular army and is subject to call for service in an emergency.
The whole body of physically fit civilians eligible by law for military service.

Origin:

Origin: Latin mīlitia, warfare, military service

Origin: , from mīles, mīlit-, soldier

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