martial

adjective mar·tial \ ˈmär-shəl \

|Updated on: 11 Aug 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

May’s office revealed that martial bands of Scots, Irish and Welsh Guards will welcome Trump at his arrival in the Great Court with rousing renditions of the Liberty Fanfare, Amazing Grace and the National Emblem.

— josh dawsey, Washington Post, "In Britain, Trump will see castles and the queen and steer clear of protesters," 6 July 2018
The feel is muscular, almost martial, while sneaking in a bit of bouncy brightness with the rhythmic triplet that leads the melody’s descending notes.

— brian mccollum, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit's global sports anthem: The White Stripes' 'Seven Nation Army'," 29 June 2018
Perfectly in sync with him throughout the 70-minute show is pianist Mark Janas, who underscores speeches as well as songs with sounds that move from glittering to jazzy to martial.

— daryl h. miller, latimes.com, "With 'Broadway and the Bard,' Len Cariou helps us hear the music in Shakespeare," 29 June 2018
In all, the AP obtained transcripts of seven courts martial proceedings, plus related documents.

— robert burns, BostonGlobe.com, "Security troops on US nuclear missile base took LSD," 24 May 2018
Seven individuals were convicted in court martial proceedings, while 16 faced non-judicial punishments and 28 received administrative actions.

— leah rodriguez, The Cut, "60 Marines Will Face Punishment for Online Misconduct Following Nude-Photo-Sharing Scandal," 3 May 2018
File photos of mixed martial artist Kimbo Slice, whose real name is Kevin Ferguson.

— david selig, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Black Panther star will play Kimbo Slice in new biopic 'Backyard Legend'," 10 July 2018
Sam let his head drop, like a martial artist, then snapped it back.

— lizzie johnson, SFChronicle.com, "Berkeley boy was ‘Patient X’ in first FDA-approved medicine derived from marijuana," 8 July 2018
To be fair, Luke Cage isn’t a martial artist like Daredevil or Iron Fist, so no one’s expecting overly stylized fight choreography in the show.

— alex abad-santos, Vox, "What went right and what went wrong for Luke Cage’s second season," 22 June 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.