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.
1325–75; Middle English < Latin Mārtiālis of, belonging to Mars, equivalent to Mārti- (stem of Mārs ) + -ālis -al 1
An adjective referring to the military, the word martial adds a warlike tone to any noun it describes. The word martial derives from Mars, the Roman god of war. It refers to almost much anything military, including "martial law," in which the government orders the military to administer the law. The word definitely makes one think of fighting, as in the physical discipline known as the martial arts. But there is a lighter side to the word, too. Martial music, usually associated with the military, is usually bright and inspiring.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Martial law was lifted six hours later after lawmakers raced to the assembly building to hold an emergency vote.
From Barron's • Feb. 19, 2026
Martial doesn’t set out what the role of the women he mentions might have been.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 27, 2026
Less than a month after the fire, Blanck resumed teaching at MuDo Integrated Martial Art in Santa Monica, where another sensei, Thomas Yi, offered space in his gym to help the fire victims.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 3, 2025
Martial law has no established definition in U.S. law; it’s an extremely muddy concept.
From Salon • Jul. 11, 2025
Tribesmen are protected under a treaty; during the invasion, they accepted Martial rule in exchange for free movement for their people.
From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir
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.
