martial

[ mahr-shuhl ]
/ ˈmɑr ʃəl /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR martial ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

inclined or disposed to war; warlike: The ancient Romans were a martial people.
of, suitable for, or associated with war or the armed forces: martial music.
characteristic of or befitting a warrior: a martial stride.

Origin of martial

1325–75; Middle English < Latin Mārtiālis of, belonging to Mars, equivalent to Mārti- (stem of Mārs) + -ālis -al1

OTHER WORDS FROM martial

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH martial

marshal marital martial

Words nearby martial

martensite, martha, martha washington chair, martha washington table, martha's vineyard, martial, martial art, martial law, martian, martin, martin du gard

Definition for martial (2 of 2)

Martial
[ mahr-shuh l ]
/ ˈmɑr ʃəl /

noun

Marcus Valerius Martialis,a.d. 43?–104?, Roman epigrammatist, born in Spain.

VOCAB BUILDER

What does martial mean?

Martial means relating to war, combat, or military life. It’s most commonly used in the phrases martial arts, martial law, and court-martial.

Less commonly, martial can mean warlike or characteristic of a warrior.

Example: Most marches originated as martial music that was used to help soldiers march.

Where does martial come from?

The first records of martial come from the 1300s. It derives from the Latin Mārtiālis, referring to Mars, the god of war in Roman mythology.

Sometimes, martial means “inclined or disposed to war,” such as when it’s applied to notoriously warlike societies, like the ancient Spartans, the Vikings, or the Mongols under Genghis Khan.

More commonly, martial is used in a general way to describe something that has to do with war or combat. Martial arts are the traditional forms of Asian self-defense or combat, such as karate and kung fu. Martial law refers to a situation in which military forces are used to temporarily keep order in an area when civil authority has broken down. A court–martial is a military court in which soldiers are tried for violating military law.

Martial should not be confused with its homophone marshal, which is the title of a high-ranking military officer.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to martial?

  • martialism (noun)
  • martialist (noun)
  • martially (adverb)
  • martialness (noun)

What are some synonyms for martial?

What are some words that share a root or word element with martial? 

What are some words that often get used in discussing martial?

 

 

What are some words martial may be commonly confused with?

How is martial used in real life?

Martial is most commonly used in phrases that refer to combat, like martial arts, or the military, like martial law and court-martial.

Try using martial!

True or False?

The words martial and marshal are synonyms.

Content related to martial

Marshal vs. Martial: Do You Know The Difference? The homophones martial and marshal can cause a lot of confusion. We're here to bring some order to the differences between martial and marshal—and marshall!
READ MORE

Words related to martial

military, belligerent, hostile, aggressive, bellicose, combative, pugnacious, warlike, soldierly

Example sentences from the Web for martial

British Dictionary definitions for martial (1 of 3)

martial
/ (ˈmɑːʃəl) /

adjective

of, relating to, or characteristic of war, soldiers, or the military life

Derived forms of martial

martialism, noun martialist, noun martially, adverb martialness, noun

Word Origin for martial

C14: from Latin martiālis of Mars 1

British Dictionary definitions for martial (2 of 3)

Martial 1
/ (ˈmɑːʃəl) /

adjective

of or relating to Mars

British Dictionary definitions for martial (3 of 3)

Martial 2
/ (ˈmɑːʃəl) /

noun

full name Marcus Valerius Martialis. ?40–?104 ad, Latin epigrammatist and poet, born in Spain