marshal

American  

[mahr-shuhl] / ˈmɑr ʃəl /

noun

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

2. an administrative officer of a U.S. judicial district who performs duties similar to those of a sheriff.

3. a court officer serving processes, attending court, giving personal service to the judges, etc.

4. the chief of a police or fire department in some cities.

5. a police officer in some communities.

6. sky marshal.

7. a higher officer of a royal household or court.

8. 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)

marshaled, marshaling, marshalled, marshalling

1. to arrange in proper order; set out in an orderly manner; arrange clearly.

   to marshal facts; to marshal one's arguments.

   Synonyms:

   convoke, dispose, order

   Antonyms:

   scatter

2. to array, as for battle.

3. to usher or lead ceremoniously.

   Their host marshaled them into the room.

4. Heraldry. to combine (two or more coats of arms) on a single escutcheon.

marshal British  

/ ˈmɑːʃəl /

noun

1. (in some armies and air forces) an officer of the highest rank

2. (in England) an officer, usually a junior barrister, who accompanies a judge on circuit and performs miscellaneous secretarial duties

3. 1. a Federal court officer assigned to a judicial district whose functions are similar to those of a sheriff

   2. (in some states) the chief police or fire officer

4. an officer who organizes or conducts ceremonies, parades, etc

5. Also called: knight marshal.  (formerly in England) an officer of the royal family or court, esp one in charge of protocol

6. an obsolete word for ostler

---

verb

1. to arrange in order

   to marshal the facts

2. to assemble and organize (troops, vehicles, etc) prior to onward movement

3. to arrange (assets, mortgages, etc) in order of priority

4. to guide or lead, esp in a ceremonious way

5. to combine (two or more coats of arms) on one shield

Related Words

See gather.

Other Word Forms

• marshalcy noun
• marshaler noun
• marshaller noun
• marshalship noun
• remarshal verb (used with object)
• submarshal noun
• undermarshal noun
• unmarshaled adjective
• unmarshalled adjective

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 ( 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.

Example Sentences

The field marshal, acting on CIA intelligence, handed over the alleged mastermind behind the 2021 Kabul airport bombing when Americans were evacuating from Afghanistan.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

Attendees had to be turned away from one breakfast meeting with top military brass because of legal limits enforced by a fire marshal.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

The grand marshal of the festival, Butler, who lost his longtime home in Altadena in last year’s Eaton fire, embodies the event’s theme of passing the baton to the next generation.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 22, 2026

Every desirable human trait now has champions who marshal clinical studies and colorful anecdotes to show readers how to get more of a good thing in their lives.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 2026

The marshal said, "The veterinarian will take care of your dog. And I'll see that she gets on the plane."

From "Black Star, Bright Dawn" by Scott O'Dell

Related Words

• assemble
• mobilize