Paramilitary
/ˌpær.əˈmɪl.ɪˌtɛr.i/noun
A force or organization that operates like a military but is not part of the official armed forces.
Did you know?The prefix para- comes from Greek and can mean “beside,” “beyond,” or “against,” so paramilitary carries the eerie idea of something operating at the edge of official power.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
para
“beside, alongside, beyond, against”
Late Latin
Latin
militāris
“of soldiers; military”
19th Century
English
paramilitary
“organized in a military style but outside official military forces”
Modern English
English
paramilitary
“a force resembling or supplementing the regular armed forces”