marshal
Americannoun
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a military officer of the highest rank, as in the French and some other armies.
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an administrative officer of a U.S. judicial district who performs duties similar to those of a sheriff.
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a court officer serving processes, attending court, giving personal service to the judges, etc.
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the chief of a police or fire department in some cities.
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a police officer in some communities.
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a higher officer of a royal household or court.
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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)
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to arrange in proper order; set out in an orderly manner; arrange clearly.
to marshal facts; to marshal one's arguments.
- Antonyms:
- scatter
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to array, as for battle.
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to usher or lead ceremoniously.
Their host marshaled them into the room.
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Heraldry. to combine (two or more coats of arms) on a single escutcheon.
noun
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(in some armies and air forces) an officer of the highest rank
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(in England) an officer, usually a junior barrister, who accompanies a judge on circuit and performs miscellaneous secretarial duties
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a Federal court officer assigned to a judicial district whose functions are similar to those of a sheriff
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(in some states) the chief police or fire officer
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an officer who organizes or conducts ceremonies, parades, etc
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Also called: knight marshal. (formerly in England) an officer of the royal family or court, esp one in charge of protocol
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an obsolete word for ostler
verb
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to arrange in order
to marshal the facts
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to assemble and organize (troops, vehicles, etc) prior to onward movement
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to arrange (assets, mortgages, etc) in order of priority
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to guide or lead, esp in a ceremonious way
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to combine (two or more coats of arms) on one shield
Synonym Usage
See gather.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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marshalcynoun
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marshalernoun
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marshallernoun
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marshalshipnoun
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submarshalnoun
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undermarshalnoun
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remarshalverb (used with object)
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unmarshaledadjective
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unmarshalledadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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marshalsimple
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marshalssimple
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have marshaledperfect
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have marshalledperfect
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has marshaledperfect
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has marshalledperfect
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am marshalingprogressive
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am marshallingprogressive
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are marshalingprogressive
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are marshallingprogressive
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is marshalingprogressive
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is marshallingprogressive
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have been marshalingperfect progressive
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have been marshallingperfect progressive
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has been marshalingperfect progressive
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has been marshallingperfect progressive
Past
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marshaledsimple
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marshalledsimple
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had marshaledperfect
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had marshalledperfect
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was marshalingprogressive
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was marshallingprogressive
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were marshalingprogressive
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were marshallingprogressive
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had been marshalingperfect progressive
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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
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The Odyssey
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The Last Olympian
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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:
His international rise has coincided with a consolidation of military power in Pakistan, which has seen the field marshal given an extended term.
From Barron's ● Jun. 16, 2026
Kathy Hilton will no longer be the grand marshal of West Hollywood’s pride parade.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026
Steve Buscemi appeared in a pre-recorded comedic bit, and Eminem surfaced in a stylized role as a fire marshal figure in a sketch that helped drive the episode’s surreal tone.
From Salon ● May 23, 2026
One fire marshal is in a critical condition and one firefighter is in a serious condition as of Friday evening, Mamdani.
From BBC ● May 23, 2026
He set his ears back, shook his forelock several times, and tried hard to marshal his thoughts; but in the end he could not think of anything to say.
From "Animal Farm: A Fairy Story" by George Orwell
Here he deftly marshals the evidence in support of his contrarian pose.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026
Three US marshals stood behind him, and one was at his side, while the federal prosecutor handling the case, US Attorney for Washington Jeanine Pirro, looked on.
From BBC ● Apr. 27, 2026
Four federal air marshals with the Department of Homeland Security, who were working a security assignment nearby, witnessed the confrontation and rushed in to assist, according to police.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 18, 2026
The Spaniard appeared in good spirits as he posed for pictures with the medics and race marshals.
From Barron's ● Feb. 4, 2026
‘I will ride now to the Hold, and there before I go to rest I will meet the marshals and captains. Let them come to me as soon as may be!’
From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien
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
He marshaled data to suggest a productivity boom thanks to personal computing was under way.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 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
Churchill consciously marshaled, as the best orators will, not only the language of the past but its history to his cause- invoking Drake and Nelson as exemplars and, implicitly, allies in the struggle.
From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith
They have created the infrastructure and marshalled the resources for an intergenerational struggle.
From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026
England captain Harry Kane was so well marshalled that he only had two touches in the Ghana penalty area in the first half, although he blazed a late chance over the top.
From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026
Born in County Durham, McDonald was court marshalled and discharged from the army in August 2000.
From BBC ● Feb. 12, 2026
By 2010, Woodcock had marshalled the center into a powerhouse with great independence — in many ways, outside the reach of the political whims of the commissioners who came and went.
From Salon ● Jun. 18, 2025
The indefatigable bell now sounded for the fourth time: the classes were marshalled and marched into another room to breakfast: how glad I was to behold a prospect of getting something to eat!
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
These ships have the ability to launch helicopters that support boarding operations, and some are capable of marshaling commercial vessels to specific areas to hold them in place.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 14, 2026
Glowicki is a terrific filmmaker, marshaling her tiny troupe to execute this unique project.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 27, 2026
The initiative, described as the largest marshaling of federal scientific resources since Apollo, will require significant computing power.
From Barron's ● Nov. 24, 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
He thought of Grandfather on a huge white horse, marshaling the people.
From "The Red Pony" by John Steinbeck
Trains pulled in every 15 or 20 minutes, as many as the endlessly enterprising operators of Ukraine's railway network could find in the sidings and marshalling yards.
From BBC ● Feb. 24, 2026
He had helped Ruto win by marshalling support in Mount Kenya - the biggest voting bloc in the country.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2024
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
Joachim Andersen, the only recognised centre-back in the visitors' XI, was supreme in marshalling a back three that also contained full-back Clyne and midfielder Jefferson Lerma.
From BBC ● Apr. 14, 2024
The same night that Bacon and his patriot followers were entrenching themselves on the heights, the Governor and his adherents were marshalling themselves in the city.
From The Cavaliers of Virginia or, The Recluse of Jamestown. Vol. II by Caruthers, William A. (Alexander)
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.
