martial law

noun

1

: the law applied in occupied territory by the military authority of the occupying power

2

: the law administered by military forces that is invoked by a government in an emergency when the civilian law enforcement agencies are unable to maintain public order and safety

Examples of martial law in a Sentence

The government has imposed martial law throughout the city to stop the riots.

an area placed under martial law

Recent Examples on the Web

Marcos Jr’s father, the dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr, ruled the Philippines with an iron fist from 1965 until his ouster in 1986, with the country living under martial law for about half that time. —Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025

Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images To justify a case for martial law, former President Yoon Suk Yeol tried to provoke neighboring North Korea into taking military action, South Korean prosecutors alleged Monday, according to domestic media. —Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 15 Dec. 2025

Ukraine was scheduled to hold a presidential election in early 2024, but it was postponed because martial law was introduced after Russia’s February 2022 attack. —Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 13 Dec. 2025

Ukraine is under martial law, which prevents holding elections. —Laura Kelly, The Hill, 10 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1576, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for martial law

• allantois
• baccarat
• chickasaw
• mackinaw
• overawe
• oversaw
• quebecois
• yojana
• aa
• aha
• bashaw
• bradshaw

Kids Definition

martial law

noun

: the law applied by military forces in occupied territory or in an emergency

Legal Definition

martial law

noun

mar·​tial law

ˈmär-shəl-

1

: the law applied in occupied territory by the military authority of the occupying power

2

: the law administered by military forces that is invoked by a government in an emergency when civilian law enforcement agencies are unable to maintain public order and safety compare military law