martial

[ mahr-shuhl ]
See synonyms for martial on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. inclined or disposed to war; warlike: The ancient Romans were a martial people.

  2. of, suitable for, or associated with war or the armed forces: martial music.

  1. characteristic of or befitting a warrior: a martial stride.

Origin of martial

1
1325–75; Middle English <Latin Mārtiālis of, belonging to Mars, equivalent to Mārti- (stem of Mārs) + -ālis-al1

Other words for martial

Other words from martial

  • mar·tial·ism, noun
  • mar·tial·ist, noun
  • mar·tial·ly, adverb
  • mar·tial·ness, noun
  • non·mar·tial, adjective
  • non·mar·tial·ly, adverb
  • non·mar·tial·ness, noun
  • un·mar·tial, adjective

Words that may be confused with martial

Words Nearby martial

Other definitions for Martial (2 of 2)

Martial
[ mahr-shuhl ]

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use martial in a sentence

  • From several doorways other men emerged, some of martial bearing, showing that the place was garrisoned to some extent.

    St. Martin's Summer | Rafael Sabatini
  • He was at once arrested, and on October 13th tried by court martial, condemned to death, and executed a few hours later.

    Napoleon's Marshals | R. P. Dunn-Pattison
  • The news of Bruce's revolt and the death of Comyn roused Edward into full martial vigour.

    King Robert the Bruce | A. F. Murison
  • He was considered a harsh Governor because his martial law administration was characterized by severe punishment for wrongdoing.

  • Juvenal, martial, and other classical authors, notice the extraordinary sufferings of the Christians.

    The Catacombs of Rome | William Henry Withrow

British Dictionary definitions for martial (1 of 3)

martial

/ (ˈmɑːʃəl) /


adjective
  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of war, soldiers, or the military life

Origin of martial

1
C14: from Latin martiālis of Mars 1

Derived forms of martial

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

British Dictionary definitions for Martial (2 of 3)

Martial1

/ (ˈmɑːʃəl) /


adjective
  1. of or relating to Mars

British Dictionary definitions for Martial (3 of 3)

Martial2

/ (ˈmɑːʃəl) /


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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012