A militiaman is a man in a militia: a group of ordinary people who can take up weapons, not the regular army. In history he is often a farmer or townsman who fights when his town or country needs him, then goes home again. In some countries a militia is an official backup force; in US news especially, militia can also mean a private armed group, and then militiaman carries a political taste. The word is a little formal and old-fashioned. People still use it in history and in the news, but everyday talk more often says soldier or fighter — though those are not the same. A soldier is trained and paid by the state; a militiaman is a civilian in that extra force.

民兵