martial

¹

[mahr-shuhl]

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.

   Synonyms: soldierly, military

3. characteristic of or befitting a warrior.

   a martial stride.

Martial

²

[mahr-shuhl]

noun

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

Martial

¹

/ ˈmɑːʃəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to Mars

Martial

²

/ ˈmɑːʃəl /

noun

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

martial

³

/ ˈmɑːʃəl /

adjective

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

Other Word Forms

• martialist noun
• martialness noun
• martialism noun
• martially adverb
• nonmartial adjective
• nonmartially adverb
• nonmartialness noun
• unmartial adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Martial¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of Martial¹

C14: from Latin martiālis of _Mars ¹

Example Sentences

A new study examining cognitively impaired professional boxers and mixed martial arts fighters reports that the brain's waste-clearing system appears to weaken after repeated blows to the head.

Read more on Science Daily

The award for non-scripted entertainment went to Danish reality TV series Shaolin Heroes, which follows contestants leaving their conventional lives behind to pursue martial arts.

Read more on BBC

The two young opponents, clad in crisp white karategi with coloured belts and protective headgear, circled each other on the tatami, the floor covering used for practising Japanese martial arts.

Read more on Barron's

As the film goes on they will take on whatever super skills needed to keep things dazzling, such as martial arts or race-car driving.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

"Zhang has the same passion for martial arts as me, the same mindset. It's not about fame - this is what I like about her," said Shevchenko.

Read more on BBC

When To Use

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.