Meanings
plural paramilitaries · alternative para-military
- A group of civilians trained and organized in a military fashion, but which do not represent the formal forces of a sovereign power.
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.
2007 July 13, Kyle Whitmire, “Suit in U.S. Over Murders in Colombia”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 26 Jan 20211 more example
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.
2014, “Little Green Men”: A Primer on Modern Russian Unconventional Warfare, Ukraine 2013–2014, Fort Bragg, North Carolina: The United States Army Special Operations Command, pages 44-45 - colloquialA member of a paramilitary group.
alternative para-military
- not comparableRelating to a paramilitary.First known use 1935
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna group of civilians organized in a military fashion (especially to operate in place of or to assist regular army troops)
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*per-
- Proto-Indo-European*preh₂-
- Proto-Hellenic*pərai
- Ancient Greekπᾰρᾰ́ (părắ)
- Ancient Greekπᾰρᾰ- (pără-)
- Englishpara-
- Englishmilitary
- Englishparamilitary
Translations
Bulgarian полувоенен
- полувоенен (poluvoenen)relating to a paramilitary
Catalan paramilitar, paramilitar
- paramilitara member of a paramilitary group
- paramilitarrelating to a paramilitary
Chinese Mandarin 凖軍事部隊 /凖军事部队, 准军事的
- 凖軍事部隊 /凖军事部队a group of civilians trained and organized in a military fashion
- 准军事的relating to a paramilitary
Czech polovojenský, paramilitantní
- polovojenskýrelating to a paramilitary
- paramilitantnírelating to a paramilitary
Danish paramilitær
- paramilitærrelating to a paramilitary
Dutch paramilitair
- paramilitairrelating to a paramilitary
Finnish puolisotilaallinen
- puolisotilaallinenrelating to a paramilitary
French organisation paramilitaire, paramilitaire
- organisation paramilitairea group of civilians trained and organized in a military fashion
- paramilitairea member of a paramilitary group
- paramilitairerelating to a paramilitary
Greek παραστρατιωτικός
- παραστρατιωτικός (parastratiotikós)relating to a paramilitary
Italian paramilitare
- paramilitarerelating to a paramilitary
Norwegian Bokmål paramilitær
- paramilitærrelating to a paramilitary
Polish bojówka, paramilitarny
- bojówkaa group of civilians trained and organized in a military fashion
- paramilitarnyrelating to a paramilitary
Portuguese organização/força/exército paramilitar, paramilitar
- organização/força/exército paramilitara group of civilians trained and organized in a military fashion
- paramilitara member of a paramilitary group
- paramilitarrelating to a paramilitary
Romanian paramilitar, paramilitar
- paramilitara member of a paramilitary group
- paramilitarrelating to a paramilitary
Russian военизи́рованный, полувое́нный
- военизи́рованный (vojenizírovannyj)relating to a paramilitary
- полувое́нный (poluvojénnyj)relating to a paramilitary
Spanish organización/grupo/ejército paramilitar, paramilitar
- organización/grupo/ejército paramilitara group of civilians trained and organized in a military fashion
- paramilitara member of a paramilitary group
- paramilitarrelating to a paramilitary
Swedish paramilitär, paramilitär
- paramilitära member of a paramilitary group
- paramilitärrelating to a paramilitary
Cite this entry
paramilitary. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/paramilitary
“paramilitary.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/paramilitary. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “paramilitary,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/paramilitary.
Source: paramilitary on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.