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

Blunt blades or curved swords for the purposes of historical re-enactment or filmmaking or for sports such as fencing or martial arts are allowed (usually with proof of participation such as insurance document or club membership card). —The Week Uk, TheWeek, 3 June 2026

In February 2022, Shakira shared a video of him winning first place in a martial arts tournament. —Jessica Sager, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026

Liu, with his prior martial arts training, performs a backflip on command to dodge oncoming fire blasts (to be inserted in post). —Entertainment Weekly, 3 June 2026

One of the passengers who helped detain Reyes posted a video of the incident to his social media pages, which also featured photos of him participating in martial arts competitions. —Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 2 June 2026

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