marshal

[mahr-shuhl]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR marshal ON THESAURUS.COM

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.

Nearby words

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

SYNONYMS FOR marshal

9. order, dispose; convoke.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR marshal ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR marshal

9. scatter.

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Related forms

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

Can be confusedmarshal marital martial

Synonym study

9. See gather.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for marshal

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 had already won his Marshal's baton, and the King could do no more for him unless by making him minister or a peer of France.
Cousin Betty|Honore de Balzac
The Marshal gave his word you shall be saved; there is no fear.
Wisdom, Wit, and Pathos of Ouida|Ouida
The Marshal had known the page, then almost a centenarian, who loaded and re-loaded the royal blunderbuss.
Old and New Paris, v. 2|Henry Sutherland Edwards
The office of marshal in the high court is represented in this court by a serjeant, who also bears a silver oar.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 4|Various
The Marshal de Retz shut the window with a shrug of protest against the vulgarity of prejudice.
The Black Douglas|S. R. Crockett

British Dictionary definitions for marshal

marshal

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 Formsmarshalcy 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

Word Origin and History for marshal

marshal

early 13c. as a surname; mid-13c. as "high officer of the royal court;" from Old French mareschal "commanding officer of an army; officer in charge of a household" (Modern French maréchal), originally "stable officer, horse tender, groom" (Frankish Latin mariscaluis) from Frankish *marhskalk or a similar Germanic word, literally "horse-servant" (cf. Old High German marahscalc "groom," Middle Dutch maerschalc), from Proto-Germanic *markhaz "horse" (see mare (1)) + *skalkaz "servant" (cf. Old English scealc "servant, retainer, member of a crew," Dutch schalk "rogue, wag," Gothic skalks "servant").

Cognate with Old English horsþegn. From c.1300 as "stable officer;" early 14c. as "military commander, general in the army." For development history, cf. constable. Also from Germanic are Italian scalco "steward," Spanish mariscal "marshal."

marshal

early 15c., "to tend (horses)," from marshal (n.). Meaning "to arrange, place in order" is from mid-15c.; that of "to arrange for fighting" is from mid-15c. Figurative use by 1690s. Related: Marshaled; marshaling.

marshal

noun

verb (used with object), mar·shaled, mar·shal·ing or (especially British) mar·shalled, mar·shal·ling.

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Origin of marshal

Synonym study

Examples from the Web for marshal

marshal

noun

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

Word Origin for marshal

marshal

marshal