Militiamen

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Individuals serving in local, often voluntary, armed groups which provide military support or defense for a community or region
2. Members of civilian armed forces who engage in military activities, typically outside the command of regular military organizations
3. People who form part of a voluntary armed group organized to assist in defense or security duties within a local area

Etymology: This is a plural, so it is the form of "militiaman", which combines "militia" with "man". The second part descends from Old English "mann", meaning a human being, the same root that gives "man" in the sense of an adult male. The first part, "militia", is the Latin word for military service, from "miles", soldier, and the plural simply adds the usual "-men" ending that "man" takes in words like "women" and "policemen".

Synonyms: soldiers, guardsmen, reservists