court-mar·tial
ˈkȯrt-ˌmär-shəl 
-ˈmär-
plural courts-martial also court-martials
1
: a court consisting of commissioned officers and in some instances enlisted personnel for the trial of members of the armed forces or others within its jurisdiction
2
: a trial by court-martial
court-martialed also court-martialled; court-martialing also court-martialling
ˈkȯrt-ˌmär-sh(ə-)liŋ
-ˈmär-
: to subject to trial by court-martial
Examples of court-martial in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Chris Brennan, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
The Pentagon in November announced a probe of Kelly for his involvement with the video, and said that further actions could include a recall to active duty and a court-martial proceeding.
—Dan Mangan, CNBC, 5 Jan. 2026
The Pentagon unveiled the probe of Kelly last November, citing a federal law that allows retired service members to be recalled to active duty on orders of the defense secretary for possible court-martial or other measures.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 5 Jan. 2026
The administrative action, which is a less serious action than a court-martial, will result in a reduction in rank and Kelly's retirement pay, a process Hegseth says will take 45 days.
—Chris Boccia, ABC News, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for court-martial
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Noun
But Hegseth, in November, threatened to recall Kelly to active duty for a court-martial for telling the truth.
—Chris Brennan, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
The Pentagon in November announced a probe of Kelly for his involvement with the video, and said that further actions could include a recall to active duty and a court-martial proceeding.
—Dan Mangan, CNBC, 5 Jan. 2026
The Pentagon unveiled the probe of Kelly last November, citing a federal law that allows retired service members to be recalled to active duty on orders of the defense secretary for possible court-martial or other measures.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 5 Jan. 2026
The administrative action, which is a less serious action than a court-martial, will result in a reduction in rank and Kelly's retirement pay, a process Hegseth says will take 45 days.
—Chris Boccia, ABC News, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for court-martial
Video
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'Poets laureate'? 'Court-martials'? The curious history of postpositive adjectives in English.
Cite this Entry
“Court-martial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/court-martial. Accessed 14 Jan. 2026.
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