This is a list of British fencible regiments. The fencibles (from the word defencible) were British Army regiments raised in Great Britain and in the colonies for defence against the threat of invasion during the Seven Years' War, the American War of Independence and French Revolutionary Wars in the late 18th century. Usually temporary units, composed of local volunteers, commanded by Regular Army officers, their role was, as their name suggests, usually confined to garrison and patrol duties, freeing up the regular Army units to perform offensive operations.