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paramilitary

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: para-military

English

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English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From para- +‎ military.

Pronunciation

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  • (US) IPA(key): /ˌpɛɹəˈmɪlɪˌtɛɹi/
  • Audio (US):(file)

Noun

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paramilitary (plural paramilitaries)

  1. A group of civilians trained and organized in a military fashion, but which do not represent the formal forces of a sovereign power.
    • 2007 July 13, Kyle Whitmire, “Suit in U.S. Over Murders in Colombia”, in The New York Times[1], archived from the original on 26 January 2021:
      From the start of its operations in Colombia, the company was on guard against the decadeslong civil strife in the country between left-wing guerrilla and right-wing paramilitary groups, witnesses have testified.
    • 2014, “Little Green Men”: A Primer on Modern Russian Unconventional Warfare, Ukraine 2013–2014[2], Fort Bragg, North Carolina: The United States Army Special Operations Command, pages 44-45:
      Cossack paramilitaries operate in Ukraine and southern Russia. [] Before he entered eastern Ukraine, Girkin led paramilitary groups in Crimea and negotiated with Ukrainian military officers in attempts to induce them to defect to Russia.
  2. (colloquial) A member of a paramilitary group.

Translations

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Adjective

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paramilitary (not comparable)

  1. Relating to a paramilitary. [1935[1]]

Translations

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Derived terms

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References

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  1. ^ Douglas Harper (2001–2026), “paramilitary”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.