paramilitary

adjective

para·​mil·​i·​tary ˌper-ə-ˈmi-lə-ˌter-ē How to pronounce paramilitary (audio)
ˌpa-rə-
: of, relating to, being, or characteristic of a force formed on a military pattern especially as a potential auxiliary military force
a paramilitary border patrol
paramilitary training
paramilitary noun

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This term paramilitary can take in a wide range of organizations, but is usually applied to forces formed by a government. Groups opposing a government, even when organized along military lines, are more often referred to as guerrillas or insurgents. In countries with weak central governments (such as, in recent times, Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq, or Congo), warlords may form their own paramilitary forces and take over all local police and military functions. Paramilitary often has a sinister sound today, since it's also applied to groups of off-duty military or police personnel who carry out illegal violence, often at night, with the quiet support of a government.

Examples of paramilitary in a Sentence

Government forces have been attacked by heavily armed paramilitary groups in several villages.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The 11 people killed in the initial attack included the train driver and eight paramilitary troopers, security officials said. Mushtaq Yusufzai, NBC News, 12 Mar. 2025 Loyalist military or paramilitary forces in Russia and Belarus have similarly quashed public dissent in recent years. Joe Wright, The Conversation, 11 Mar. 2025 The Philippines, under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., has pushed back most forcefully as an increasing number of Chinese coast guard and paramilitary vessels occupy the country's exclusive economic zone, hundreds of miles from Chinese shores. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025 According to Human Rights Watch, more than 300 Nicaraguans were killed and 2,000 injured by police and paramilitary goons in anti-government protests in 2018, a huge number for a small country of only six million people. Andres Oppenheimer, Miami Herald, 18 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for paramilitary

Word History

First Known Use

1935, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of paramilitary was in 1935

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Cite this Entry

“Paramilitary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paramilitary. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025.

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