1
as in military
of, relating to, or suitable for war or a warrior
the marching band played "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" and several other martial airs
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in naval
of or relating to the armed services
one of the basic tenets of martial law
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of martial
At 58, White, a martial artist, writer, director and actor, feels after three decades-plus his best is what’s happening now.
—
Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 8 Jan. 2026
In the early eighteenth century, the kingdom was led by Linze I, a powerful martial figure who directed a sophisticated network of anti-slavery military patrols on the Wewe river, the main waterway used by regional slave-raiding parties to travel up and down from the Atlantic coast.
—Literary Hub, 5 Dec. 2025
After the two action stars famously feuded while working on the Fast & Furious movies and then apparently squashed their beef, Diesel is praising Johnson and his recent performance in The Smashing Machine, the unflinching biopic about mixed martial artist Mark Kerr.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Nov. 2025
But the threats of sedition charges and courts martial in response are also crazy.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 25 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for martial
Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 8 Jan. 2026
In the early eighteenth century, the kingdom was led by Linze I, a powerful martial figure who directed a sophisticated network of anti-slavery military patrols on the Wewe river, the main waterway used by regional slave-raiding parties to travel up and down from the Atlantic coast.
—Literary Hub, 5 Dec. 2025
After the two action stars famously feuded while working on the Fast & Furious movies and then apparently squashed their beef, Diesel is praising Johnson and his recent performance in The Smashing Machine, the unflinching biopic about mixed martial artist Mark Kerr.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Nov. 2025
But the threats of sedition charges and courts martial in response are also crazy.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 25 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for martial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for martial
Adjective
-
Howard, who had served as a second lieutenant with the Ninety‑Second Division, 366th Infantry in France during World War I, accused President Truman of using the Cold War to justify a sweeping peacetime expansion of America’s global military footprint.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
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Aviation officials made strides to change military helicopter flight path rules around Washington, DC, and later promised a new air traffic control system would be implemented during the current presidential administration to support aviation safety.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The outing attracted dozens of naval enthusiasts to the waterfront.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Jan. 2026
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The sub grounds on rocks within sight of the Sweden’s coast, deep in its territorial waters, and near to its biggest naval base.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Many of them targeted veterans who had retired from military service and were ready to use their post-service education benefits.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
20 Jan. 2026
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With two convenient locations, one in Milpitas and another in Fremont which offers a compact counter-service experience complete with outdoor seating as well as a larger hangout spot with a full bar and even a pool table.—
Amplified Content Studio,
Mercury News,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Martial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/martial. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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