A militia is a group of ordinary citizens who are trained to act as soldiers in emergencies, rather than being full-time professional soldiers. Governments or local groups may organize militias for defense or security.
From Latin ‘militia,’ meaning ‘military service’ or ‘warfare,’ related to ‘miles’ (soldier). In English, it came to mean non-professional citizen soldiers.
Militias blur the line between civilian and soldier, which is why they can be both protective and politically controversial. In some countries they’re part of official defense plans; in others, they operate outside government control.
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