marshal

[ mahr-shuhl ]

/ ˈmɑr ʃəl /

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Definition of marshal

noun

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

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.

sky marshal.

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), mar·shaled, mar·shal·ing or (especially British) mar·shalled, mar·shal·ling.

to arrange in proper order; set out in an orderly manner; arrange clearly: to marshal facts; to marshal one's arguments.

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.

OTHER WORDS FOR marshal

9 order, dispose; convoke.

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OPPOSITES FOR marshal

9 scatter.

See antonyms for marshal on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

SHALL WE PLAY A "SHALL" VS. "SHOULD" CHALLENGE?

Should you take this quiz on “shall” versus “should”? It should prove to be a quick challenge!

Question 1 of 6

Which form is used to state an obligation or duty someone has?

shall

should

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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 mare¹) + scalh servant, cognate with Old English scealc

synonym study for marshal

9. See gather.

OTHER WORDS FROM marshal

mar·shal·cy, mar·shal·ship, nounmar·shal·er; especially British, mar·shal·ler, nounre·mar·shal, verb (used with object), re·mar·shaled, re·mar·shal·ing or (especially British) re·mar·shalled, re·mar·shal·ling.sub·mar·shal, noun

un·der·mar·shal, nounun·mar·shaled, adjectiveun·mar·shalled, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH marshal

marshal , marital, martial

Words nearby marshal

Marseillaise, marseille, marseilles, marsh, Marsha, marshal, Marshall, Marshallese, Marshall, George C., marshalling yard, Marshall Islands

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use marshal in a sentence

Fauci continued in 2012 and beyond to marshal support for NIH’s handling of the experiments with the H5N1 strain and for other gain-of-function projects.
A science in the shadows|David Willman, Madison Muller|August 26, 2021|Washington Post
Since at least 2014, the DOJ’s asset forfeiture program, which is run by the marshals, has taken the same approach with cryptocurrency and opened up the stores of crypto it seizes to bids from the public.
Feds are seizing cryptocurrency from criminals. Now they have to figure out what to do with it.|Rebecca Heilweil|July 30, 2021|Vox
“With his shoulder insignia changed, it appears Pak was demoted from marshal of the Korean People’s Army, the highest military rank under Kim Jong Un, to vice-marshal,” according to NK News, an independent website in Seoul.
New Kim Jong Un Purge Suggests North Korea Is in Deep Shit|Donald Kirk|July 9, 2021|The Daily Beast
His uniform would have displayed his rank as a marshal above a chest full of military medals.
New Kim Jong Un Purge Suggests North Korea Is in Deep Shit|Donald Kirk|July 9, 2021|The Daily Beast

Robert Brandt, the chief deputy marshal at the courthouse, said officials are waiting for a determination on whether Tuesday’s fire was intentionally set or was an accident, possibly due to faulty wiring.
U.S. Marshals Service vehicle damaged by fire outside D.C. courthouse|Peter Hermann|July 7, 2021|Washington Post
It has a presence, it remains potentially destructive, but all we can do is attempt to marshal it.
Grief: The Real Monster in The Babadook|Tim Teeman|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The earl was killed in battle and Marshal captured, but he would later be ransomed by the queen herself.
England’s Greatest Knight Puts ‘Game of Thrones’ to Shame|William O’Connor|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
With Marshal at his side, Richard crushed Philip and his armies.
England’s Greatest Knight Puts ‘Game of Thrones’ to Shame|William O’Connor|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Marshal appears in many of the sources regarding these rulers, and therefore, it seems, much can be verified.
England’s Greatest Knight Puts ‘Game of Thrones’ to Shame|William O’Connor|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Before dying in 1219, Marshal would begin the task of rebuilding England after decades of war.
England’s Greatest Knight Puts ‘Game of Thrones’ to Shame|William O’Connor|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He distinguished himself in several campaigns, especially in the Peninsular war, and was raised to the rank of field marshal.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
A mushir (marshal) would find it derogatory to his dignity to smoke out of a stem less than two yards in length.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
Never had the genius of the Marshal stood higher than in this difficult retirement from Portugal.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
An incident of the campaign of 1806 gave the Marshal's enemies an excellent opening for showing their dislike.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
While secretly countenancing every attack on the Marshal, the Emperor, for family reasons, was loth to come to an open breach.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison

British Dictionary definitions for marshal

marshal

/ (ˈmɑːʃəl) /

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

(in the US)

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 -shals, -shalling or -shalled or US -shals, -shaling or -shaled (tr)

to arrange in orderto 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

Derived forms of marshal

marshalcy or marshalship, nounmarshaller or US marshaler, noun

Word Origin for marshal

C13: from Old French mareschal; related to Old High German marahscalc groom, from marah horse + scalc servant

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

marshal

Definition of marshal

OTHER WORDS FOR marshal

OPPOSITES FOR marshal

Origin of marshal

synonym study for marshal

OTHER WORDS FROM marshal

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH marshal

Words nearby marshal

Words related to marshal

How to use marshal in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for marshal

Derived forms of marshal

Word Origin for marshal