Quote:
Originally posted by Just the Village Idiot
The definitioin of the word militia is not in question...
A militia is:
An army composed of ordinary citizens rather than professional soldiers.
- or -
A military force that is not part of a regular army and is subject to call for service in an emergency.
- or -
The whole body of physically fit civilians eligible by law for military service.
That pretty much answers the second question...
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The first (meaning, most commonly-meant) meaning of "militia" according to the Merriam-Webster.com site is: "1 a : a part of the organized armed forces of a country liable to call only in emergency." So, it refers to, for example, The National Guard or Army Reserves, for example. Yes, M-W does include the other definitions you LIKE, but this remains the primary one.