milizia

militia

noun mee-LEE-tsyah Rare

Origin: From Latin 'militia' (military service), from 'miles' (soldier).

Usage Note

Milizia refers to a militia or paramilitary force, as distinct from the regular army (esercito). In Italian historical contexts it is strongly associated with the Milizia Volontaria per la Sicurezza Nazionale, the Fascist paramilitary corps of the 1920s–40s, so the word can carry political weight. In modern usage it appears in news reporting about armed groups in conflict zones. The plural is regular: milizie.

Examples

"Le milizie locali controllavano le strade del villaggio."

Natural Translation

The local militias controlled the village roads.

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