martial

¹

[mahr-shuhl]

adjective

1. inclined or disposed to war; warlike.

   The ancient Romans were a martial people.

2. of, suitable for, or associated with war or the armed forces.

   martial music.

   Synonyms: soldierly, military

3. characteristic of or befitting a warrior.

   a martial stride.

Martial

²

[mahr-shuhl]

noun

1. Marcus Valerius Martialis, a.d. 43?–104?, Roman epigrammatist, born in Spain.

Martial

¹

/ ˈmɑːʃəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to Mars

Martial

²

/ ˈmɑːʃəl /

noun

1. full name Marcus Valerius Martialis. ?40–?104 _ad , Latin epigrammatist and poet, born in Spain

martial

³

/ ˈmɑːʃəl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of war, soldiers, or the military life

Other Word Forms

• martialism noun
• martialist noun
• martially adverb
• martialness noun
• nonmartial adjective
• nonmartially adverb
• nonmartialness noun
• unmartial adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of martial¹

1325–75; Middle English < Latin Mārtiālis of, belonging to Mars, equivalent to Mārti- (stem of Mārs ) + -ālis -al ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of martial¹

C14: from Latin martiālis of _Mars ¹

Example Sentences

As the film goes on they will take on whatever super skills needed to keep things dazzling, such as martial arts or race-car driving.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

"Zhang has the same passion for martial arts as me, the same mindset. It's not about fame - this is what I like about her," said Shevchenko.

Read more on BBC

Enrile never apologised for his role in the dictatorship and even defended martial law.

Read more on Barron's

In a small win for California’s film and TV industry, mixed martial arts franchise Combate Global will relocate production from Miami to Burbank.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

South Korean prosecutors indicted former president Yoon Suk Yeol on Monday on new charges of aiding the enemy, alleging that he ordered drone flights over North Korea to strengthen his effort to declare martial law.

Read more on Barron's

When To Use

What does martial mean?

Martial means relating to war, combat, or military life. It’s most commonly used in the phrases martial arts, martial law, and court-martial.Less commonly, martial can mean warlike or characteristic of a warrior.Example: Most marches originated as martial music that was used to help soldiers march.