martial art

noun

: any of several arts of combat and self-defense (such as karate and judo) that are widely practiced as sport

martial artist noun

Examples of martial art in a Sentence

He was trained in the martial arts.

Recent Examples on the Web

Videos of Chinese robots performing martial arts and acrobatics are common on social media, while the Chinese robotics industry has organized a series of spectacles to show off its advances. —James Vincent, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025

The two-day celebration will include lion and dragon dancers, lantern parades, martial arts performances, a children’s activity area, vendors selling Asian food and live music. —Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Dec. 2025

In October, Unitree released a new video highlighting the martial arts capabilities of its G1 humanoid robot, once again drawing attention to the machine’s agility, balance, and speed. —Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 29 Dec. 2025

Urban likens it to Jackie Chan's style of combat, the way the Rush Hour and Karate Kid star's fast-paced, precise martial arts moves are paired with hijinks. —Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1904, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for martial art

• counterpart
• apart
• depart
• flowchart
• forepart
• impart
• pushcart
• rampart
• redstart
• restart
• subpart
• sweetheart

Kids Definition

martial art

noun

: any of several arts of combat and self-defense (as karate and judo) that are widely practiced as a sport

martial artist noun