home guard: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Formal, Historical, Military
Quick answer
What does “home guard” mean?
A reserve military force for local defence, typically made up of volunteers ineligible for regular service.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A reserve military force for local defence, typically made up of volunteers ineligible for regular service.
A general term for any locally organised, volunteer defence force, often operating in a non-professional capacity during emergencies or war.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In the UK, 'Home Guard' (capitalised) is strongly associated with the WWII volunteer defence force, also known as 'Dad's Army'. In the US, the term is generic and less historically specific, often referring to state defence forces or local militia units.
Connotations
UK: Nostalgic, historical, amateurish/courageous (influenced by popular culture). US: Neutral, functional, referring to contemporary state-level forces.
Frequency
Higher frequency in UK English due to its entrenched historical and cultural significance. In US English, 'National Guard' is far more common for the primary reserve force.
Grammar
How to Use “home guard” in a Sentence
the Home Guard + [verb: was/were mobilised, trained, stood down]a home guard + [prepositional phrase: of volunteers, for the county]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “home guard” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- He found his father's old Home Guard uniform in the attic.
- The Home Guard spirit was vital to morale.
American English
- The state maintains a small home guard force for disaster response.
- They reviewed the home guard protocols.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not applicable.
Academic
Used in historical, military, or sociological texts discussing civilian involvement in defence.
Everyday
Rare, except in historical discussion or specific local contexts.
Technical
Used in military science to describe a type of reserve force organisation.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “home guard”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “home guard”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “home guard”
- Using lowercase for the specific British historical force (should be capitalised).
- Confusing it with 'National Guard' (US) or 'Territorial Army' (UK).
- Using it as a verb (e.g., 'to home guard' is incorrect).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, the original British Home Guard was disbanded in December 1945. There is no direct modern equivalent under that name.
The Home Guard was a static, last-ditch defence force for WW2, with minimal training and equipment. The Territorial Army (now Army Reserve) is a fully integrated, trained component of the regular army for both home and overseas deployment.
It is occasionally used metaphorically (e.g., 'a home guard of dedicated volunteers' for a community project), but this is rare and stylised.
Because many volunteers were older men or those in reserved occupations, too old or exempt from regular service. The name was cemented by the popular 1970s BBC comedy series 'Dad's Army'.
A reserve military force for local defence, typically made up of volunteers ineligible for regular service.
Home guard is usually formal, historical, military in register.
Home guard: in British English it is pronounced /ˌhəʊm ˈɡɑːd/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌhoʊm ˈɡɑːrd/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'GUARDing the HOME' front when the main army is away.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE NATION IS A HOME (to be defended); CIVILIANS ARE SOLDIERS (in emergency).
Practice
Quiz
In modern US context, 'home guard' most closely aligns with which concept?