martial

adjective

mar·​tial ˈmär-shəl How to pronounce martial (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or suited for war or a warrior
martial music
a martial tone of voiceTim Appelo
martial prowess
2
: relating to an army or to military life
martial discipline
stories of martial traditionEwen Macaskill
3
: experienced in or inclined to war : warlike
its martial people fought the British to a standstillMary Anne Weaver
martially adverb

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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The unified policy from various motion trackers lets the humanoid handle dynamic manoeuvres on demand, from martial-art kicks to dance spins. Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 1 Sep. 2025 And as martial artists have known for millennia, sometimes the best way to deal with a fall is to turn it into a flip. New Atlas, 29 Aug. 2025 The film follows skilled martial artist Wang Wei, whose daughter Rainy is abducted by a child trafficking ring. Sara Merican, Deadline, 27 Aug. 2025 Ukrainian law does not allow presidential elections to be held when martial lawis in effect. Aamer Madhani, Fortune, 18 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for martial

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin martialis of Mars, from Mart-, Mars

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of martial was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Martial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/martial. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

martial

adjective
mar·​tial ˈmär-shəl How to pronounce martial (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or suited for war or a warrior
martial music
2
: of or relating to an army or to military life
martial discipline
martially adverb
Etymology

Middle English martial "relating to or suited for war," from Latin martialis "of Mars," from Mars "god of war"

Biographical Definition

Martial

biographical name

Mar·​tial ˈmär-shəl How to pronounce Martial (audio)
circa a.d. 40–circa 103 Marcus Valerius Martialis Roman epigrammatist

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