[noun] [C + singular or plural verb] - a military force which only operates for some of the time and whose members often have other jobs, used either instead of or to support the official armyA UN force has been sent in to stop fighting in the city between three rival militias.The government has called out the militia to help cope with the rioting.
MILITIA
Meaning of MILITIA in English
Cambridge English vocab. Кембриджский английский словарь. 2012