martial

adjective

mar·tial | \ˈmär-shəl

Definition of martial

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

Martial

biographical name

Mar·tial | \ˈmär-shəl

Definition of Martial (Entry 2 of 2)

circa a.d. 40–circa 103 Marcus Valerius Martialis Roman epigrammatist

Other Words from martial Synonyms & Antonyms Martial and Roman Mythology More Example Sentences Learn More about martial

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Synonyms & Antonyms for martial

Synonyms: Adjective

military, soldierly

Antonyms: Adjective

unsoldierly

Examples of martial in a Sentence

Adjective

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: Adjective

Image The warrior was a symbol of martial strength, molded from terra cotta and buried more than 2,000 years ago with China’s first emperor to defend him in the afterlife. — Austin Ramzy, New York Times, "American Is Charged With Stealing Terra-Cotta Warrior’s Thumb," 19 Feb. 2018 Elsewhere, the director’s penchant for slow-mo can get a little ridiculous, especially in the martial-arts kicks and medium-wattage car chases. — Michael Phillips, chicagotribune.com, "'Superfly' review: One last score, this time in Atlanta," 12 June 2018 Frequent Lamb’s hand Manny Fernandes, in particular, is endlessly entertaining as the goofball music-shop proprietor Billy, whose martial-arts skills are on a par with his (subpar) success with the ladies. — James Hebert, sandiegouniontribune.com, "'Once' is a singularly memorable musical trip at Lamb's Players Theatre," 9 June 2018 In spite of official sales estimated at 300m copies, plus multiple spin-off films, television serials and games, the 14 martial-arts epics written by Jin Yong between 1955 and 1972 have remained unknown to most Western readers. — The Economist, "A martial-arts mega-hit finally arrives in English," 22 Feb. 2018 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

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.