marshal

American  

[mahr-shuhl] / ˈmɑr ʃəl /

noun

marshals plural

1. a military officer of the highest rank, as in the French and some other armies.

2. an administrative officer of a U.S. judicial district who performs duties similar to those of a sheriff.

3. a court officer serving processes, attending court, giving personal service to the judges, etc.

4. the chief of a police or fire department in some cities.

5. a police officer in some communities.

6. sky marshal.

7. a higher officer of a royal household or court.

8. an official charged with the arrangement or regulation of ceremonies, parades, etc..

   the marshal of the St. Patrick's Day parade.

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verb (used with object)

marshals, present (3rd person singular) marshaled, past participle, past marshalled, past participle, past marshaling, present participle marshalling present participle

1. to arrange in proper order; set out in an orderly manner; arrange clearly.

   to marshal facts; to marshal one's arguments.

   Synonyms:

   convoke, dispose, order

   Antonyms:

   scatter

2. to array, as for battle.

3. to usher or lead ceremoniously.

   Their host marshaled them into the room.

4. Heraldry. to combine (two or more coats of arms) on a single escutcheon.

marshal British  

/ ˈmɑːʃəl /

noun

1. (in some armies and air forces) an officer of the highest rank

2. (in England) an officer, usually a junior barrister, who accompanies a judge on circuit and performs miscellaneous secretarial duties

3. 1. a Federal court officer assigned to a judicial district whose functions are similar to those of a sheriff

   2. (in some states) the chief police or fire officer

4. an officer who organizes or conducts ceremonies, parades, etc

5. Also called: knight marshal.  (formerly in England) an officer of the royal family or court, esp one in charge of protocol

6. an obsolete word for ostler

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verb

1. to arrange in order

   to marshal the facts

2. to assemble and organize (troops, vehicles, etc) prior to onward movement

3. to arrange (assets, mortgages, etc) in order of priority

4. to guide or lead, esp in a ceremonious way

5. to combine (two or more coats of arms) on one shield

Synonym Usage

See gather.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• marshalcy
  noun
• marshaler
  noun
• marshaller
  noun
• marshalship
  noun
• submarshal
  noun
• undermarshal
  noun
• unmarshaled
  adjective
• unmarshalled
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• marshals
  plural

Participles

• marshaling
  present
• marshalling
  present
• marshaled
  past
• marshalled
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• marshal
  simple
• marshals
  simple
• have marshaled
  perfect
• have marshalled
  perfect
• has marshaled
  perfect
• has marshalled
  perfect
• am marshaling
  progressive
• am marshalling
  progressive
• are marshaling
  progressive
• are marshalling
  progressive
• is marshaling
  progressive
• is marshalling
  progressive
• have been marshaling
  perfect progressive
• have been marshalling
  perfect progressive
• has been marshaling
  perfect progressive
• has been marshalling
  perfect progressive

Past

• marshaled
  simple
• marshalled
  simple
• had marshaled
  perfect
• had marshalled
  perfect
• was marshaling
  progressive
• was marshalling
  progressive
• were marshaling
  progressive
• were marshalling
  progressive
• had been marshaling
  perfect progressive
• had been marshalling
  perfect progressive

Future

• will marshal
  simple
• will have marshaled
  perfect
• will have marshalled
  perfect
• will be marshaling
  progressive
• will be marshalling
  progressive
• will have been marshaling
  perfect progressive
• will have been marshalling
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of marshal

1225–75; Middle English marshal, syncopated variant of mareschal < Old French < Germanic; compare Old High German marahscalh groom, equivalent to marah horse ( see mare ¹) + scalh servant, cognate with Old English scealc

Explanation

A federal marshal knocks on your door. You panic: a marshal is a law officer. What do you do? You marshal your thoughts, that is, put them in order. Marshal derives from the Old French mareschal, for stable officer. The stable officer had charge of the horses, tending to them, putting them in order, readying them for action. If you are a marshal, you're an officer. If you marshal yourself, you get yourself ready, preparing for action.

Example Sentences

Mr. Hargreaves’s account of the North African fighting does much to dispel the myths that surround Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, the German tank commander and so-called Desert Fox.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 23, 2026

The city and WeHo Pride on Wednesday released a joint statement, announcing that “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star would no longer serve as the Grand Marshal Icon for the 2026 WeHo Pride Parade.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026

When it comes to heavy appliances, “the business is now strictly need-based, not desirous or impulsive,” said Marshal Cohen, chief retail advisor at Circana.

From MarketWatch • May 15, 2026

Clary notes that Trump's "apparent affection" for Pakistan's army chief, now Field Marshal Asim Munir, significantly shaped the post-conflict environment.

From BBC • May 7, 2026

Peisistratos called out: “Read us the sign, O Menelaos, Lord Marshal of armies! Was the god revealing something thus to you, or to ourselves?”

From "The Odyssey" by Homer

Related Words

• assemble
• mobilize