marshal

noun

mar·shal | \ ˈmär-shəl

variants: or less commonly marshall

Definition of marshal

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : a high official in the household of a medieval king, prince, or noble originally having charge of the cavalry but later usually in command of the military forces

b : a person who arranges and directs the ceremonial aspects of a gathering a parade marshal

2a : field marshal

b : a general officer of the highest military rank

3a : an officer having charge of prisoners

b(1) : a ministerial (see ministerial sense 3) officer appointed for a judicial district (as of the U.S.) to execute the process of the courts and perform various duties similar to those of a sheriff

(2) : a city law officer entrusted with particular duties

c : the administrative head of a city police department or fire department

marshal

verb

variants: or less commonly marshall

marshaled or marshalled; marshaling or marshalling\ ˈmärsh-(ə-)liŋ

Definition of marshal (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to place in proper rank or position marshaling the troops

2 : to bring together and order in an appropriate or effective way marshal arguments marshaled her thoughts before answering the question

3 : to lead ceremoniously or solicitously : usher marshaling her little group of children down the street

intransitive verb

: to take form or order ideas marshaling neatly

Other Words from marshal Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Marshal Has Old German Roots More Example Sentences Learn More about marshal

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Synonyms & Antonyms for marshal

Synonyms: Verb

mobilize, muster, rally

Antonyms: Verb

demob [chiefly British], demobilize

Choose the Right Synonym for marshal

Verb

order, arrange, marshal, organize, systematize, methodize mean to put persons or things into their proper places in relation to each other. order suggests a straightening out so as to eliminate confusion. ordered her business affairs arrange implies a setting in sequence, relationship, or adjustment. arranged the files numerically marshal suggests gathering and arranging in preparation for a particular operation or effective use. marshaling the facts for argument organize implies arranging so that the whole aggregate works as a unit with each element having a proper function. organized the volunteers into teams systematize implies arranging according to a predetermined scheme. systematized billing procedures methodize suggests imposing an orderly procedure rather than a fixed scheme. methodizes every aspect of daily living

Marshal Has Old German Roots

Noun

Although most French words are derived from Latin, a few—among them marshal—are Germanic. In the last centuries of the Roman Empire, the Germanic Franks occupied what is now France and left behind a substantial linguistic legacy, including what became medieval French mareschal. Mareschal came from a Frankish compound noun corresponding to Old High German marahscal, composed of marah, meaning “horse” (Old English mearh, with a feminine form mere, whence English mare), and scalc, meaning “servant” (Old English scealc). The original “marshal” was a servant in charge of horses, but by the time the word was borrowed from French into English in the 14th century it referred primarily to a high royal official.

Examples of marshal in a Sentence

Verb

She carefully marshaled her thoughts before answering the question. marshaled their forces for battle

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

True Grit' The force behind the Charles Portis novel is Mattie Ross, the assertive, intelligent and sometimes over-confident teenager who hires a U.S. marshal to track down her father's killer. — Domenica Bongiovanni, Indianapolis Star, "See Django's hat, 'Brokeback Mountain' shirts and other props at Western film exhibit," 8 Mar. 2018 Harris had become angry after an officer escorted a fire marshal and city official inspecting his home, police said. — Don Sweeney, sacbee, "Someone threw out his clam chowder. He called 911 about it – five times | The Sacramento Bee," 5 Mar. 2018 But after the majority of spectators had left the courtroom, and after Beck left the bench, a U.S. marshal allowed Lalchan’s grandmother to be escorted to the cellblock to greet the prisoner, two people familiar with the incident said. — Keith L. Alexander, Washington Post, "Former pharmacist sentenced to 7 ½ years in fatal shooting of husband," 7 Sep. 2019 Fire crews were dispatched around 4 p.m. on Aug. 30, shortly after a fire marshal from Howard County who happened to be in the area saw smoke from the restaurant and around the same time patrons were alerting employees to the smell of smoke. — Cody Boteler, baltimoresun.com, "Fire at Loafers Bar and Grill in Catonsville still under investigation," 4 Sep. 2019 In 1992, white separatist Randy Weaver surrendered to authorities in Naples, Idaho, ending an 11-day siege by federal agents that had claimed the lives of Weaver’s wife, son and a deputy US marshal. — BostonGlobe.com, "This day in history," 31 Aug. 2019 Seated directly in front of them were a U.S. marshal named William Richardson and his wife. — Gary Kamiya, SFChronicle.com, "San Francisco love story: A hooker, her gambling man and a hanging," 23 Aug. 2019 According to the state police, a resident state trooper was helping a state marshal with an eviction at the address when Sabino acted and spoke in a way that prompted the trooper to call a SWAT team and bomb squad. — Christine Dempsey, courant.com, "Man who barricaded himself in Hebron house during eviction to face judge," 6 Aug. 2019 More than once, a marshal there has walked up to me to ask about my day. — Charles Bethea, The New Yorker, "The Mail," 29 May 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The husband-and-wife team of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, his former collaborator, have marshaled the support of the White House, and president Donald Trump took to Twitter yesterday (July 19) to agitate on Rocky’s behalf. — Oliver Staley, Quartz, "A$AP Rocky shows it pays to have well-connected friends," 20 July 2019 His baby sister was the party girl/front row fixture who marshaled celebrities to fashion shows and helped conceive Versus, the company’s bridge line. — Jacob Bernstein, New York Times, "Donatella Versace Has Long Been a Gay Icon. Now It’s Official.," 29 June 2019 Republicans have been very successful in marshaling the rage of their base. — Libby Watson, The New Republic, "Brett Kavanaugh Has Democrats Running Scared," 17 Sep. 2019 While the Champions League final last season was far from vintage, the site of Jordan Henderson marshaling his teammates and instinctively covering at right back to plug any gaps was the mark of just how progressed the 29-year-old's game has become. — SI.com, "Jordan Henderson: An Ode to One of Football's Great Survivors," 5 Sep. 2019 Some, at 15, were already fantasizing about marshaling breakfast for whining, barking, yowling households. — Sarah Ruden, National Review, "American Men," 22 Aug. 2019 When European leaders gathered at an emergency summit in Brussels, days after Mr Trump’s bombshell, the solution seemed simple enough: NATO’s 29 remaining members would regroup and marshal their defences without America. — The Economist, "Europe alone: July 2024," 6 July 2019 There is a difference between being progressive and now marshaling to dislodge Marty Walsh. — Milton J. Valencia, BostonGlobe.com, "Michelle Wu says Boston is ready for change. But is Boston ready for Michelle Wu?," 30 June 2019 In addition to the paint shop, FCA is building a test track near Warren Avenue as well as a 2,590-space employee parking lot and 689-space trailer marshaling area on St. Jean, which is now closed to traffic. — Eric D. Lawrence, Detroit Free Press, "Major milestone just happened at new FCA site in Detroit," 26 Feb. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'marshal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

7 Oct 2019

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The first known use of marshal was in the 13th century

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More Definitions for marshal

marshal

noun

English Language Learners Definition of marshal

(Entry 1 of 2)

: an officer of the highest rank in some military forces

US : a federal official who is responsible for doing the things that are ordered by a court of law, finding and capturing criminals, etc.

US : the head of a division of a police or fire department

marshal

verb

English Language Learners Definition of marshal (Entry 2 of 2)

: to arrange (a group of people, such as soldiers) in an orderly way

: to move or lead (a group of people) in a careful way

: to arrange or prepare (something, such as your thoughts or ideas) in a clear, effective, or organized way

See the full definition for marshal in the English Language Learners Dictionary

marshal

noun

mar·shal | \ ˈmär-shəl

Kids Definition of marshal

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a person who arranges and directs ceremonies a parade marshal

2 : an officer of the highest rank in some military forces

3 : a federal official having duties similar to those of a sheriff

4 : the head of a division of a city government fire marshal

marshal

verb

marshaled or marshalled; marshaling or marshalling

Kids Definition of marshal (Entry 2 of 2)

: to arrange in order marshal troops

marshal

noun

mar·shal | \ ˈmär-shəl\

Legal Definition of marshal

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a ministerial officer appointed for each judicial district of the U.S. to execute the process of the courts and perform various duties similar to those of a sheriff

2 : a law officer in some cities (as New York) of the U.S. who is entrusted with particular duties (as serving the process of justice of the peace courts)

3 : the administrative head of the police or especially fire department in some cities of the U.S.

marshal

transitive verb

variants: also marshall

marshaled also marshalled; marshaling also marshalling

Legal Definition of marshal (Entry 2 of 2)

: to fix the order of (assets) with respect to liability or availability for payment of obligations also : to fix the order of (as liens or remedies) with respect to priority against a debtor's assets — see also marshaling