marshal
Americannoun
-
marshals
plural
-
a military officer of the highest rank, as in the French and some other armies.
-
an administrative officer of a U.S. judicial district who performs duties similar to those of a sheriff.
-
a court officer serving processes, attending court, giving personal service to the judges, etc.
-
the chief of a police or fire department in some cities.
-
a police officer in some communities.
-
a higher officer of a royal household or court.
-
an official charged with the arrangement or regulation of ceremonies, parades, etc..
the marshal of the St. Patrick's Day parade.
verb (used with object)
-
marshals,
present (3rd person singular)
-
marshaled,
past participle, past
-
marshalled,
past participle, past (especially British)
-
marshaling,
present participle
-
marshalling
present participle (especially British)
-
to arrange in proper order; set out in an orderly manner; arrange clearly.
to marshal facts; to marshal one's arguments.
- Antonyms:
- scatter
-
to array, as for battle.
-
to usher or lead ceremoniously.
Their host marshaled them into the room.
-
Heraldry. to combine (two or more coats of arms) on a single escutcheon.
noun
-
(in some armies and air forces) an officer of the highest rank
-
(in England) an officer, usually a junior barrister, who accompanies a judge on circuit and performs miscellaneous secretarial duties
-
-
a Federal court officer assigned to a judicial district whose functions are similar to those of a sheriff
-
(in some states) the chief police or fire officer
-
-
an officer who organizes or conducts ceremonies, parades, etc
-
Also called: knight marshal. (formerly in England) an officer of the royal family or court, esp one in charge of protocol
-
an obsolete word for ostler
verb
-
to arrange in order
to marshal the facts
-
to assemble and organize (troops, vehicles, etc) prior to onward movement
-
to arrange (assets, mortgages, etc) in order of priority
-
to guide or lead, esp in a ceremonious way
-
to combine (two or more coats of arms) on one shield
Synonym Usage
See gather.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
marshalcynoun
-
marshalernoun
-
marshallernoun
-
marshalshipnoun
-
submarshalnoun
-
undermarshalnoun
-
remarshalverb (used with object)
-
unmarshaledadjective
-
unmarshalledadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
marshalsimple
-
marshalssimple
-
have marshaledperfect
-
have marshalledperfect
-
has marshaledperfect
-
has marshalledperfect
-
am marshalingprogressive
-
am marshallingprogressive
-
are marshalingprogressive
-
are marshallingprogressive
-
is marshalingprogressive
-
is marshallingprogressive
-
have been marshalingperfect progressive
-
have been marshallingperfect progressive
-
has been marshalingperfect progressive
-
has been marshallingperfect progressive
Past
-
marshaledsimple
-
marshalledsimple
-
had marshaledperfect
-
had marshalledperfect
-
was marshalingprogressive
-
was marshallingprogressive
-
were marshalingprogressive
-
were marshallingprogressive
-
had been marshalingperfect progressive
-
had been marshallingperfect progressive
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing marshal
Content Summary G.1: Principles of Geography
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!
The Odyssey
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!
The Last Olympian
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!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Once back in New York, Vanderbilt tried to marshal his “movies” into a coherent film.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
For the last 19 years, student-loan lender Sallie Mae has commissioned a study on how families marshal all the economic forces at their disposal to pay for college.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026
The closest woman for the job was Gail Curley, the Supreme Court’s marshal.
From Slate ● Jul. 15, 2026
Kathy Hilton will no longer be the grand marshal of West Hollywood’s pride parade.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026
I had this from the lord marshal, Menelaos, and when my errand in that place was done I left for home.
From "The Odyssey" by Homer
On Thursday, federal marshals in Miami took the Tates into custody.
From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2026
The introduction of water marshals to oversee terminals and prevent overloading has not yet made a difference.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
Antonelli had just made his pit stop when the VSC was deployed to allow marshals to recover some debris from the track.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
She marshals the data to show how women continue to face unique impediments to success, and how both men and women justify their actions in a way that preserves the status quo.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
The front of the school was deserted but along the curb United States marshals were spaced, not in uniform but wearing armbands to identify them.
From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck
Perhaps in part because of his time overseas in the Air Force, he believed U.S. military, economic and diplomatic power could be marshaled to expand freedom in the world in the American national interest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
New York City’s charismatic mayor, Zohran Mamdani, won his election as a DSA member in 2025 and has since marshaled political support for fellow progressives running for other offices in the city he runs.
From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026
Don’t question whether he marshaled a compelling reason to do so.
From Slate ● Jan. 12, 2026
Even the Treasury’s pivot toward heavier Treasury bill financing points to a world in which market structure, regulation, and innovation are quietly being marshaled to sustain an ever-larger debt load.
From Barron's ● Nov. 7, 2025
Minya marshaled a dozen ghosts at all times, even in her sleep.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
In an opinion article written for the Financial Times last week, Bessent has cast the new measures as the “single greatest financial offensive ever marshalled against an adversary.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
For months, faith-based and secular groups there have marshalled thousands of volunteers to prepare for a potential mass deportation event they fear could result in a humanitarian crisis.
From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026
They have created the infrastructure and marshalled the resources for an intergenerational struggle.
From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026
Coming in at number six, Gardner marshalled partnerships of 64 and 69 with Tahlia McGrath and Kim Garth, before being caught behind off Bree Illing.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2025
There on the wide flats beside the noisy river were marshalled in many companies well nigh five and fifty hundreds of Riders fully armed, and many hundreds of other men with spare horses lightly burdened.
From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien
Navy destroyers, which are highly maneuverable and carry powerful weapons, would likely be used to intercept oil tankers and escort them to a designated marshaling area.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 18, 2025
The initiative, described as the largest marshaling of federal scientific resources since Apollo, will require significant computing power.
From Barron's ● Nov. 24, 2025
At the time, firefighters credited an extraordinary marshaling of firefighting resources as critical to keeping fires in Northern and Southern California from becoming far worse.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 20, 2025
In South Korea, the country’s sprawling family-run conglomerates turbocharged the "Miracle on the Han River" by marshaling capital, technology and labor to industrialize the country at breakneck speed.
From Salon ● Dec. 31, 2024
Pulling it off was going to mean marshaling all his resources and making some very tough decisions.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
At the heart of it all was the magnificent Gabriel, repelling all Brighton's borders and marshalling resources with his outstanding central defensive partner William Saliba missing through injury.
From BBC ● Mar. 4, 2026
His only involvement for the rest of the day was marshalling his team in the field, often hunched over with hands on knees.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2025
Accurate CFRs are critically important in an outbreak because marshalling a public health response depends on understanding the disease’s severity.
From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2024
Recognizing this link between widely consumed food and disease is essential in marshalling forces to change harmful outcomes.
From Salon ● Mar. 28, 2024
The marshalling of the competitors and the order of the racing are left to your discretion; but there need be no lack of interest.
From Mathieu Ropars: et cetera by William Young
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.
