militias
Armed volunteer groups
Militias are armed groups organized outside regular military forces.
In the U.S., the term carries different connotations depending on context: the constitutional militia refers to citizens available for defense a well regulated militia, while modern militias are often private paramilitary groups with anti-government ideologies The militia stockpiled weapons at their compound.
Elsewhere, militias may be tribal, political, or revolutionary forces operating alongside or against state armies.
Armed uprising against authority
- guerrillaIrregular armed fighter
- combatantsThose engaged in warfare
- fightersThose who engage physically
- warlordsMilitary leaders controlling regions
militants · mercenaries · soldiers · battalions · brigades · commandos · raiders · squadrons
Strengthening defenses or nutrients
- garrisonStationed military force
- strongholdFortified place of defense
- bunkerReinforced subterranean stronghold
- barricadeObstacle blocking a path
checkpoint · patrol · territory · border · sovereignty · homeland · protection · security
Residential area nearby
- communityCollective of connected people
- vigilanteExtralegal justice-seeker
- watchmenGuards of property
- self-defenseProtecting oneself from harm
patriot · survivalist · reservist · grassroots · local · citizen · homestead · township
Organized resistance to power
- insurrectionViolent uprising against authority
- revoltOrganized resistance to power
- coupAbrupt seizure of power
- resistanceCapacity to withstand force
sedition · mutiny · overthrow · revolution · insurgent · separatist · dissident · rebel
Post-coup ruling clique
- regimeSystem of governance
- loyalistFaithful supporter of authority
- nationalistOne prioritizing homeland interests
- extremistOne holding fringe views
radical · ideological · sectarian · ethnic · tribal · factional · partisan · affiliated
insurgency
Armed uprising against authority
- guerrillaIrregular armed fighter
- combatantsThose engaged in warfare
- fightersThose who engage physically
warlords · militants · mercenaries · soldiers · battalions · brigades · commandos · raiders · squadrons · platoons
fortification
Strengthening defenses or nutrients
- garrisonStationed military force
- strongholdFortified place of defense
- bunkerReinforced subterranean stronghold
barricade · checkpoint · patrol · territory · border · sovereignty · homeland · protection · security · guard
neighborhood
Residential area nearby
self-defense · patriot · survivalist · reservist · grassroots · local · citizen · homestead · township · rural
uprising
Organized resistance to power
- insurrectionViolent uprising against authority
- revoltOrganized resistance to power
- coupAbrupt seizure of power
resistance · sedition · mutiny · overthrow · revolution · insurgent · separatist · dissident · rebel · faction
junta
Post-coup ruling clique
- regimeSystem of governance
- loyalistFaithful supporter of authority
- nationalistOne prioritizing homeland interests
extremist · radical · ideological · sectarian · ethnic · tribal · factional · partisan · affiliated · proxy
- secret networkssecret societies, cabals, cells, hidden networks, criminal networks
- War of 1812War of 1812, Andrew Jackson, Battle of New Orleans, Fort McHenry, Lake Erie
- War on TerrorOsama bin Laden, IED, Guantanamo, regime change, troop surge
- RwandaKigali, Hutu, Tutsi, Rwandan Genocide, 1994
- groupsteam, teams, group, club, clubs
- military forcesarmy, allied forces, soldiers, troops, coalition forces
militiasstanding armies
Permanently maintained military forces
federal troops · regular army · career soldiers · defense forces · national guard
militiascivilians
Non-military population
civilian population · noncombatants · civil society · peace movements
militiaspolice forces
Organized law enforcement bodies
law enforcement · peacekeepers · constabulary · peacekeeping forces · government forces
- militia forcesArmed civilian defense groups
- local militia
- state militiaState-controlled armed force
- militia groupsArmed civilian organizations
- colonial militiaSettler volunteer defense force
- citizen militiasArmed civilian defense groups