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."
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In 2021, a court-martial dismissed Villamide for negligence and sentenced other officers to up to 45 days in jail for concealing information.
From Barron's ● Mar. 3, 2026
All of this may be of little practical concern since the chances of your ever actually facing a court-martial for obeying these particular unlawful orders are slim to zero.
From Slate ● Nov. 24, 2025
The Pentagon said on Monday that further action may be taken against Kelly, including a recall to active duty for court-martial or administrative measures.
From BBC ● Nov. 24, 2025
All nine men will face court-martial, the spokesman said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2025
If they made it home safely, there would be no need for court-martial.
From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein
Besigye's case was initially tried as a court martial but later moved to a civilian court after the Supreme Court ruled it was unconstitutional to try civilians in military courts.
From Barron's ● Jan. 20, 2026
Besigye objected to being tried by a court martial, saying that if there were any charges against him, he should be tried in a civilian court.
From BBC ● Dec. 1, 2024
Their court martial, in a strange display of leniency, sentenced the most culpable perpetrator to just 10 years in prison, while one of the four defendants did not even receive a punitive discharge.
From Salon ● Aug. 3, 2024
The sailors were tried and convicted in a court martial, sentenced to bad conduct discharge and fined three months pay.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2024
So, as the head of the court martial, Washington weighed the evidence and listened to Church, who claimed he was innocent.
From "George Washington, Spymaster" by Thomas B. Allen
The secretary general called for on-site court-martials of alleged perpetrators and DNA testing to identify them.
From The Guardian ● Mar. 4, 2016
Xissley, told me that I had been more expense to the Army, due to court-martials, etc., than I could ever repay, even though I should serve the Army 30 -ears.
From Time Magazine Archive
The Philippine military said that Gudani and Balutan will also face court-martials.
From Time Magazine Archive
The authorities called for court-martials but quieted down when it was learned that the whole frontier was in cahoots with the Black Boys.
From Time Magazine Archive
But the list of court-martials held during the second quarter of the eighteenth century on British captains for beginning to fight too late, or for leaving off too soon, would, if published, astonish this generation.
From Deeds that Won the Empire Historic Battle Scenes by Fitchett, W. H. (William Henry)
But they are the ones who will face courts-martial and federal indictments if they cross the line.
From Slate ● Dec. 3, 2025
Indeed, using the flag as a handkerchief has at least twice led to courts-martial.
From Salon ● Apr. 6, 2025
But the bill leaves the convening authority for such courts-martial in the chain of command.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 15, 2021
The administration established a new organization to run the trials — the Office of Military Commissions, which created a court system whose rules are a hybrid of military courts-martial and federal civilian courts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2021
I've attended a score of courts-martial, and I always made up my mind in less than a second.
From The Village Notary by E?tv?s, J?zsef
Because Mauldin himself was a soldier, Patton could have him court-martialed and put in jail.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 5, 2026
Kelly could even be recalled to active duty, then court-martialed, an act that would remove his military status entirely and even land the senator in prison.
From Slate ● Jan. 13, 2026
“Personally I think Carrie Bradshaw should’ve been court-martialed for inviting Big to Aidan’s cabin,” wrote another.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 12, 2024
David Christopher Noble, 48, a former US Air Force officer who was previously court-martialed and dismissed from the military, and Nicole Devilbiss, 35.
From BBC ● Apr. 3, 2024
He wasn’t court-martialed, but he was stripped of his rank and confined to the base for six months.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
"If a soldier or soldiers were to be found guilty of such behaviour, I am telling you that they would be court-martialled immediately," Mr Bakary said.
From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2018
An army doctor examined him and declared him fit in both mind and body and, on 14 February 1916, he was court-martialled for desertion.
From The Guardian ● Jun. 29, 2014
Army intelligence analyst Bradley Manning directly to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Monday at a hearing to determine whether Manning will be court-martialled in the biggest leak of classified documents in American history.
From Reuters ● Dec. 20, 2011
Twenty-one Americans refused to return to the United States; forty announced that they had become Communists; and fourteen were court-martialled, and eleven of those were convicted.
From The New Yorker ● Sep. 8, 2003
"I ought to be court-martialled for letting you break up our signal chain this way."
From The Boy Scout Automobilists or, Jack Danby in the Woods by Maitland, Robert
The service also has considered court-martialing skippers, only to ultimately decide that was not warranted.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 17, 2018
Amerine believes the Army is bent on court-martialing him once the Criminal Investigation Command finishes its probe.
From Washington Times ● Jun. 14, 2015
In 2012, the Indian Supreme Court ruled that the army could choose between court-martialing the soldiers or allowing them to be prosecuted in civilian courts.
From New York Times ● Jan. 26, 2014
The perils came home again more recently, when sharp comments he made about court-martialing members of the military accused of sexual assault provided ammunition to defense lawyers, who called that improper interference.
From New York Times ● Jul. 16, 2013
“Well,” said I, “you will raise the deuce court-martialing me, when there is only five or six members of the Company who can read or write and they are all on my side.”
From The Indians' Last Fight Or The Dull Knife Raid by Collins, Dennis
There had been calls for the removal, even the court-martialling, of the general concerned, but the army had defended the latter and he had been allowed to complete the campaign.
From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
The rest of the year was uneventful, except for the court-martialling of Lee and his duel with Laurens, who challenged him for his defamation of Washington.
From The Conqueror by Atherton, Gertrude Franklin Horn
They've struck the originality all right," he admitted, "but, Lord, the time that will be wasted court-martialling you fellows!
From The Man from the Clouds by Clouston, J. Storer (Joseph Storer)
They have a pretty habit of court-martialling naval officers when they risk their ship unnecessarily.
From A Gunner Aboard the "Yankee" by Doubleday, Russell
But I say I am ashamed of you to go private court-martialling your own father in that way, and find such fault with him for helping you to get off!”
From Real Gold A Story of Adventure by Fenn, George Manville
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.
