martial art

American  

noun

martial arts plural

1. Often martial arts any of the traditional forms of Asian self-defense or combat that utilize physical skill and coordination without weapons, as karate, aikido, judo, or kung fu, often practiced as sport.

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martial art British  

noun

1. any of various philosophies of self-defence and techniques of single combat, such as judo or karate, originating in the Far East

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• martial artist
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• martial arts
  plural

Etymology

Origin of martial art

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

He boasts of achieving a seventh-degree black belt in Keichu-do karate, a Cajun hodgepodge martial art developed by his biological father, Karl.

From Slate • Jun. 29, 2026

The first time Weston broke his back it ended a promising career in the martial art for the 28-year-old, but bizarrely it turned out to be a blessing.

From Barron's • Feb. 14, 2026

Classes included economics and English, as well as meditation, calligraphy and kendo, a martial art.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026

Mrs Bigger, from North Hykeham, Lincolnshire, is taught by her son Mark Bigger, who said the martial art was good for physical and mental health at any age.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2025

“Today’s test,” announced Scythe Cervantes, “will be a competition in the martial art of Bokator. The candidates will be paired and judged on their performance.”

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman

Related Words

• judo
• karate
• wrestling