martial

adjective

mar·tial ˈmär-shəl

Synonyms of martial next

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

martial music

a martial tone of voice—

Tim Appelo

martial prowess

: relating to an army or to military life

martial discipline

stories of martial tradition—

Ewen Macaskill

: experienced in or inclined to war : warlike

its martial people fought the British to a standstill—

Mary Anne Weaver

martially

ˈmär-shə-lē

adverb

Did you know?

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.

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 on the Web White plays the title character, a notorious gunslinger and brutally efficient martial artist who has devoted most of his adult life to seeking vengeance for the murder of his father, preacher and trick shootist Bullseye Black (played briefly but impactfully in flashbacks by Glynn Turman). —

Joe Leydon, Variety, 13 Sep. 2023 The King, now 74, and Queen, now 76, married in a civil ceremony held in the Windsor Guildhall followed by a martial blessing at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. —

Clare Fisher, Peoplemag, 5 Sep. 2023 While training for his recent boxing match with Nate Diaz, a mixed martial artist, Jake Paul headed to a running track near his base in Dorado, P.R., alongside Larry Wade, his new strength and conditioning coach. —

Morgan Campbell, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2023 Natalie, a martial artist of persuasion played by Erica Steinhagen, and her partner, the bantamweight chatterbox Joe (Karl Gregory), ring Redelmo’s doorbell and talk their way into his house. —

James Sullivan, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Aug. 2023 And that has been a game changer for me, not only from a leadership standpoint, but from a martial standpoint, from being a father standpoint. —

Fortune Editors, Fortune, 16 Aug. 2023 Dmitry Mironov, Putin’s influential aide and former bodyguard, proposed in June formalizing units of soldiers from the martial subculture known as the Cossacks, a move that may irritate Shoigu and a Defense Ministry already wary of the proliferation of autonomous militarized groups. —

Tatiana Stanovaya, Foreign Affairs, 8 Aug. 2023 Fiesta Asia Silver Spring The Maryland version of the festival that took over Pennsylvania Avenue in May has live performances by dancers, martial artists and musicians, Pan-Asian cuisine options, a cultural parade, and shopping available from local vendors. —

Chris Kelly, Washington Post, 3 Aug. 2023 Congress passed the reforms in the annual defense bill in December 2021, but any changes to the manual regarding the court martial process require the president's signature on an executive order. —

Eleanor Watson, CBS News, 28 July 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'martial.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.