martial

adjective

mar·tial ˈmär-shəl

Synonyms of martial next

: of, relating to, or suited for war or a warrior

martial music

a martial tone of voice—Tim Appelo

martial prowess

: relating to an army or to military life

martial discipline

stories of martial tradition—Ewen Macaskill

: experienced in or inclined to war : warlike

its martial people fought the British to a standstill—Mary Anne Weaver

martially

ˈmär-shə-lē

adverb

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Martial and Roman Mythology

Mars was the Roman god of war and one of the patron gods of Rome itself. He was responsible for everything military, from warriors to weapons to marching music. Thus, martial arts are skills of combat and self-defense also practiced as sport. When martial law is declared, a country's armed forces take over the functions of the police. And a court-martial is a military court or trial.

Examples of martial in a Sentence

the marching band played “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” and several other martial airs one of the basic tenets of martial law

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Weidman is a world-class wrestler, and he was dominated by Anders, a former college football standout turned mixed martial artist. —Brian Mazique, Forbes, 8 Dec. 2024 The actor and martial artist, 84, revealed the news of his mother's death in an emotional Instagram post on Friday, Dec. 6, sharing a carousel of photos of them together over the years. —Jen Juneau, People.com, 6 Dec. 2024 After a fairly successful career as a mixed martial artist, Riddle first garnered attention on the independent scene for his unique appearance, unorthodox MMA style, and stoner persona. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 1 Dec. 2024 Your Complete Guide to Pilots and Straight-to-Series orders See All Casting is underway for the roles: a skilled younger female martial artist, weapons expert and criminologist with a secret origin story who turns to McCall (Queen Latifah) for help, and an older male former top CIA operative. —Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 19 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for martial

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin martialis of Mars, from Mart-, Mars

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of martial was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Martial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/martial. Accessed 20 Dec. 2024.

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Kids Definition

martial

adjective

mar·tial ˈmär-shəl

: of, relating to, or suited for war or a warrior

martial music

: of or relating to an army or to military life

martial discipline

martially

-shə-lē

adverb

Etymology

Middle English martial "relating to or suited for war," from Latin martialis "of Mars," from Mars "god of war"

Biographical Definition

Martial

biographical name

Mar·tial ˈmär-shəl

circa a.d. 40–circa 103 Marcus Valerius Martialis Roman epigrammatist

Last Updated: 13 Dec 2024 - Updated example sentences

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martial

adjective

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Synonyms

Examples of martial in a Sentence

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near martial

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

Biographical Definition

biographical name