a court consisting of military or naval personnel appointed by a commander to try charges of offenses by soldiers, sailors, etc., against military or naval law.
a trial by such a court.
a conviction by such a court.
He lost his privileges because of his court-martial.
a session of such a court.
He attended the court-martial this morning.
First recorded in 1565–75; earlier martial court
A court-martial is a special legal trial for members of the military. When someone in the armed forces is accused of a crime, they are usually subject to court-martial. Court-martial is the official name of a military court, or for a trial within that kind of court. Active military members are subject to a separate set of laws from civilians, and part of that military legal process involves facing a judge in a court-martial. Criminal offenses like theft and assault are tried this way, as are military-specific crimes like desertion. Martial means "pertaining to war."
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Court martial evidence said only that he was found gravely wounded, with a bullet near his heart.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 24, 2023
Loss of military property issued to soldiers Court martial 85.
From Military Instructors Manual by Schoonmaker, Oliver
Insubordination to a non-commissioned officer Court martial 69.
From Military Instructors Manual by Schoonmaker, Oliver
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
