court-martial

[ kawrt-mahr-shuh l, -mahr-, kohrt- ]

/ ˈkɔrtˌmɑr ʃəl, -ˈmɑr-, ˈkoʊrt- /

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noun, plural courts-mar·tial, court-mar·tials.

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.

verb (used with object), court-mar·tialed, court-mar·tial·ing or (especially British) court-mar·tialled, court-mar·tial·ling.

to arraign and try by court-martial.

Nearby words

court tennis, court tomb, court tv, court-bouillon, court-leet, court-martial, courtelle, courteous, courtesan, courtesy, courtesy car

Origin of court-martial

First recorded in 1565–75; earlier martial court

Examples from the Web for court-martial

Now facing criminal charges, Neubauer could be standing before a court-martial by mid-June.
Air Force Charges Ex-Informant With Lying About Her Rape|Jacob Siegel|May 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As his court-martial finally got under way, I was reading a book called Making War at Fort Hood.
The Army Life, Mundane and Hideously Violent, by Turns|Brian Van Reet|August 29, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Then they decide that such a court-martial would embarrass them.
David's Bookclub: Catch-22|David Frum|December 29, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Of the 65 reported assaults last year, in only one case was the accused assailant subjected to a court-martial.
Former Student Claims U.S. Naval Academy Had ‘Zero Tolerance’ for Rape Victims|Jesse Ellison|May 4, 2012|DAILY BEAST

They are badly paid, badly trained, and threatened with early retirement or a court-martial if they disobey orders, says Mahfouz.
Corrupt and Brutal, Egypt’s Police Fight for Their Survival|Ursula Lindsey|November 22, 2011|DAILY BEAST
That they had no right whatever to constitute themselves a court-martial, and bring him to trial, they knew perfectly well.
Cudjo's Cave|J. T. Trowbridge
We should then have a sort of court-martial, and it would have to decide that no offence was meant and none given.
Black Diamonds|Mr Jkai
But the surviving records of the court-martial with which we are concerned go to show that he was certainly not a gifted speaker.
The Snare|Rafael Sabatini
He thought that he would cut a better figure at his court-martial if his colours were shot down rather than lowered in surrender.
Stories of the Ships|Lewis R. Freeman
Neither of them could send or receive a challenge without rendering himself amenable to a court-martial.
A Set of Six|Joseph Conrad