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
Two presidents, two reckonings In February, a Seoul court sentenced former President Yoon to life in prison for the martial-law attempt; his former defense minister got 30 years.
—
Joohee Cho, ABC News, 4 June 2026
The heroism of Shaw, a white man, and his Black comrades lay not just in their martial valor but in their willingness to work together, at great risk, to test whether the ancient American ideal of unity amid diversity could survive their riven nation.
—Trygve Throntveit, Time, 27 May 2026
Before McCain’s post-deadline return to Philadelphia on March 23, Presti texted him a vintage Bruce Lee video in which the legendary martial artist detailed one of his old mantras.
—Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 23 May 2026
When Japanese General Miura (Hiroyuki Ikeuchi ) begins organizing brutal matches between his occupying soldiers and Chinese martial artists, Ip Man agrees to a public fight with Miura himself.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for martial
Joohee Cho, ABC News, 4 June 2026
The heroism of Shaw, a white man, and his Black comrades lay not just in their martial valor but in their willingness to work together, at great risk, to test whether the ancient American ideal of unity amid diversity could survive their riven nation.
—Trygve Throntveit, Time, 27 May 2026
Before McCain’s post-deadline return to Philadelphia on March 23, Presti texted him a vintage Bruce Lee video in which the legendary martial artist detailed one of his old mantras.
—Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 23 May 2026
When Japanese General Miura (Hiroyuki Ikeuchi ) begins organizing brutal matches between his occupying soldiers and Chinese martial artists, Ip Man agrees to a public fight with Miura himself.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for martial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for martial
Adjective
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Base officials said the people on board were a mix of military personnel and civilian contractors.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
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The city, usually home to some 90,000 people before the latest war between Israel and Hezbollah erupted on March 2, was largely deserted as Israel pressed its military offensive in the area in recent days.—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
Adjective
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French, American, British and other naval crews already have experience of escorting civilian ships through hostile fire in the region.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 June 2026
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Albanian naval officer Bamir Kundreti, who is 56 years old, lived with his family on Sazan for eight years after 1991 as a torpedo boat commander.—
Marzio G. Mian,
Vanity Fair,
16 June 2026
Adjective
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Participants in these programs should earn a career credential and a meaningful set of benefits — like tuition support, apprenticeship credits, or a wage subsidy that follows them into their first post-service job.—
Belonging Forum,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
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The atmosphere is counter-service utilitarian, and there isn't a bar anywhere in sight.—
Mark DeJoy,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Martial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/martial. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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