martial art

noun

: any of several arts of combat and self-defense (such as karate and judo) that are widely practiced as sport
martial artist noun

Examples of martial art in a Sentence

He was trained in the martial arts.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Directed by action veteran Kenji Tanigaki and produced by Bill Kong, the martial arts showcase stars Xie Miao as Wang Wei, an ordinary man who unleashes a relentless rampage against a powerful child trafficking syndicate after his daughter is kidnapped. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 15 June 2026 The school of Brazilian martial arts also serves as a community center to learn Portuguese and enjoy Brazilian food, according to owner Ninja Pinto. Julianna Mejia, Kansas City Star, 15 June 2026 In the week ahead, some hard realities of the office have threatened to overshadow the ostentatious UFC mixed martial arts extravaganza, where combatants sealed inside a wire-mesh octagon try to punch, kick, chop and pummel each other into submission. Will Weissert, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2026 This week, the hard realities of the office have threatened to overshadow the ostentatious UFC mixed martial arts extravaganza, where combatants sealed inside a wire-mesh octagon try to punch, kick, chop and pummel each other into submission. ABC News, 14 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for martial art

Word History

First Known Use

1904, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of martial art was in 1904

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Cite this Entry

“Martial art.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/martial%20art. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

martial art

noun
: any of several arts of combat and self-defense (as karate and judo) that are widely practiced as a sport
martial artist noun

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