French Conversation · Level 64
75 words
French word
milice
Pronunciation
IPA/milis/
Meaning
- feminine nounmilitia
Example
La milice a patrouillé le village.
The militia patrolled throughout the village.
More examples
Des civils ont formé une milice pour protéger le quartier.
Civilians formed a militia to protect the neighborhood.
Core concept
Civilians acting together as a local armed force rather than as regular soldiers.
Similar words
police: An official body that safeguards the public and fights crime.
gendarmerie: An armed national force that mainly maintains law and order in rural areas.
Definition in French
Organisation armée formée surtout de civils, créée pour défendre ou maintenir l'ordre local, parfois reconnue officiellement.
Word origin
The French noun milice developed from Old French milice, which came from Latin militia for military service.
Usage tips
- Milice does not normally mean the official police; police or gendarmerie is used for those forces.