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

• martialist noun
• martialness noun
• martialism noun
• martially adverb
• 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

Although she is initially seen as a schemer, her martial arts background comes in handy as she proves herself to be a reliable team player.

From Salon

Yoon was detained in January and is facing a separate trial over a failed martial law bid last year that plunged the country into chaos and led to his impeachment.

From BBC

"Politicians use martial language all the time, don't they?" he told BBC Radio 4's Today.

From BBC

He tried to justify his failed attempt at martial law by claiming the country's institutions had been infiltrated by supporters of Pyongyang.

From BBC

Yoon was detained in January to face trial over a failed martial law bid last year that plunged the country into chaos.

From BBC

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.