martial

adjective mar·tial \ ˈmär-shəl \

|Updated on: 16 Jun 2018

Examples: martial in a Sentence

Editor's Note: martial and Roman Mythology

Definition of martial

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

martial music

a martial tone of voice
—Tim Appelo

martial prowess

2 : relating to an army or to military life

martial discipline

stories of martial tradition
—Ewen Macaskill

3 : experienced in or inclined to war : warlike

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

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martially

play \-shə-lē\ adverb

See martial defined for English-language learners

See martial defined for kids

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 of martial from the Web

The game followed Jade, an investigative journalist and martial artist, who worked with resistance fighters to reveal a planet-wide alien conspiracy.

— chris morris, Fortune, "Ubisoft Teams With Joseph Gordon-Levitt for Upcoming Game 'Beyond Good and Evil 2'," 12 June 2018
The company, now known as William Morris Endeavor, has snapped up companies in adjacent businesses including sports, fashion, live events and mixed-martial-arts fighting.

— ben fritz, WSJ, "It’s Buy or Die in Media as Tech Takes Over," 8 June 2018
English actor and martial artist Scott Adkins combines raw physical power and everyman charm in ways that can be tricky for filmmakers to showcase properly.

— noel murray, latimes.com, "Tough guy Scott Adkins is the right fit for 'The Debt Collector'," 31 May 2018
Among the jobs represented: a chef, martial artists, police officers and a graphic designer.

— carli teproff, miamiherald, "Miami Herald journalist reports what she learned at career day," 29 May 2018
Watch the martial-arts star play a cop (HERO AND THE TERROR at 3:45 p.m.), a small-town Texas sheriff (SILENT RAGE at 5:25), and soldiers in the two-film franchises MISSING IN ACTION (9 and 10:45) and THE DELTA FORCE (12:25 and 2:35 a.m.).

— andrew r. chow, New York Times, "What’s on TV Saturday: ‘Saturday Night Live’ and ‘Ransom’," 7 Apr. 2018
Manning was tried by court martial at Fort Meade in 2013, convicted of espionage, theft and disobeying orders, and sentenced to 35 years in prison.

— jeff barker, baltimoresun.com, "Chelsea Manning's Twitter account says she is 'safe' after concerning photo," 28 May 2018
Perhaps no American scholar is better equipped to bridge the divide between martial life and literary culture than Samuel Hynes.

— matt gallagher, WSJ, "‘On War and Writing’ Review: The Rifle and the Pen," 24 May 2018
At another martial burial site in southern Denmark, materials were carried more than a mile from the coastal battlefield to an inland bog for ritual disposal.

— kiona n. smith, Ars Technica, "2,000 years ago in Denmark, a fierce battle left dozens dead," 21 May 2018

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

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.