different between paramilitary vs guerrilla

English

Etymology

para- +? military

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /?p????m?l??t??i/

Noun

paramilitary (plural paramilitaries)

1. A group of civilians trained and organized in a military fashion, but which do not represent the formal forces of a sovereign power.
2. (colloquial) A member of a paramilitary group.

Translations

Adjective

paramilitary (not comparable)

1. relating to a paramilitary

Translations

English

Alternative forms

• guerilla

Etymology

From Spanish guerrilla, diminutive of guerra (“war”), coined during the Peninsular War.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?????l?/
• Homophone: gorilla

Noun

guerrilla (plural guerrillas)

1. A soldier in a small independent group, fighting against the government or regular forces by surprise raids.

2. (now rare) A non-official war carried out by small independent groups; a guerrilla war.

Translations

Adjective

guerrilla (comparative more guerrilla, superlative most guerrilla)

1. (military) Relating to, using, or typical of guerrilla warfare, or its principles of small independent or non-official perpetrators.
   • 1908, George Devereux Oswell, Sketches of Rulers of India, volume I, Chapter VII, page 127:

     Wherever Nicholson was most wanted, there he was sure to be found. What his life was at this time may be seen from a letter he wrote to his mother: 'I am leading a very guerrilla sort of life with seven hundred horse and foot raised among the people of the country. The chieftain who is in rebellion has eight regular regiments and sixteen guns, so that I am unable to meet them openly in the field.'

   • 1963, Samuel B. Griffith (translator), Mao Zedong, The Red Book of Guerrilla Warfare, edited by Shawn Conners, ?ISBN, published 2010, page 14, original 1937

     On the other hand, after the fall of Feng Ling Tu, the operations of Central Shansi, and Suiyuan, troops were more guerrilla than orthodox in nature.

   • 1976, Walter Laqueur, Guerrilla Warfare, page 205:

     The Slovak uprising in the latter days was not guerrilla in character, which, incidentally, may have been one of the reasons for its failure.

2. (marketing) Relating to, using, or typical of guerrilla marketing.
   • 1989, Michael Wiese, Film & video marketing, page 445:

     We took a very guerrilla approach to marketing Goin' Hollywood, in keeping with the irreverent tone of the game.
3. Using unconventional, non-traditional, non-mainstream and often subversive practices to achieve something.

See also

• guerrillero
• guerrilla warfare
• partisan

Catalan

Etymology

From Spanish guerrilla.

Pronunciation

• (Balearic, Central) IPA^(key): /???ri.??/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /?e?ri.?a/

Noun

guerrilla f (plural guerrilles)

1. guerrilla (small official or unofficial military troop)
2. guerrilla war

Derived terms

• guerriller

Further reading

• “guerrilla” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “guerrilla” in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana.
• “guerrilla” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “guerrilla” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish guerrilla.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /???ril.ja?/, /??e??ril.ja?/
• Hyphenation: guer?ril?la

Noun

guerrilla f (plural guerrilla's)

1. A guerrilla war; guerrilla warfare. [from 1810s]

   Synonym: guerrillaoorlog

2. A guerrilla fighter.

   Synonyms: guerrillastrijder, guerrillero

Derived terms

• guerrillabasis
• guerilla-eenheid
• guerrillagroepering
• guerrillaleger
• guerrillaoorlog
• guerrillastrijder

Descendants

• ? Indonesian: gerilya

Spanish

Etymology

guerra (“war”) +? -illa (diminutive suffix)

Pronunciation

Noun

guerrilla f (plural guerrillas)

1. guerrilla (small official or unofficial military troop)
2. guerrilla war

Derived terms

• guerrillear
• guerrillero

Descendants

• ? Catalan: guerrilla
• ? English: guerrilla, guerilla
• ? French: guérilla
  • ? Turkish: gerilla
• ? Italian: guerriglia
• ? Piedmontese: guerija
• ? Portuguese: guerrilha

Further reading

• “guerrilla” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.