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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
Jiu-jitsu is a martial art known among practitioners as the gentle art of folding clothes while someone is still wearing them.
—
Joe Mutascio, The Indianapolis Star, 7 June 2024
Born in Tokyo in 1960, Sanada found an early mentor in Sonny Chiba, the Japanese action star who started his own acting and martial arts school, Japan Action Club.
—
Chris Vognar, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2024
The first season was rife with other problems, including the cultural appropriation inherent to the concept of a rich white man traveling to Asia and learning how to do martial arts better than everyone there.
—
Nola Pfau, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2024
Kenya’s airwaves, as well as those in other parts of Africa, are now filled with martial arts films, dramas about life in China, and documentaries that promote a CCP political narrative—such as one focusing on Japanese atrocities in World War II—that have been dubbed into local languages.
—
Elizabeth Economy, Foreign Affairs, 9 Dec. 2021
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'martial art.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1904, in the meaning defined above
Articles Related to martial art
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Cite this Entry
“Martial art.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/martial%20art. Accessed 17 Jun. 2024.
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
More from Merriam-Webster on martial art
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about martial art
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