Martian

[mahr-shuhn]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or like the planet Mars or its hypothetical inhabitants.

noun

1. a supposed inhabitant of the planet Mars.

   The science-fiction novel was about the invasion of our planet by Martians.

Martian

/ ˈmɑːʃən /

adjective

1. of, occurring on, or relating to the planet Mars

noun

1. an inhabitant of Mars, esp in science fiction

Other Word Forms

• trans-Martian adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Martian¹

1350–1400; Middle English marcien < Latin Mārti ( us ) of, belonging to Mars ( March ) + -an

Example Sentences

These winds stir up dust into swirling columns called dust devils—rotating plumes of air and fine particles that sweep across the Martian surface.

Read more on Science Daily

The lunar and Martian samples were compared against a control group grown in Devonian soil, an ancient, clay-rich type from Devon, England.

Read more on Salon

Scientists believe these features contain minerals produced by chemical reactions that could be associated with ancient Martian microbes.

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The U.S. and much of the rest of the world had Martians on the brain.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

At first, there was a sense of awe surrounding the public display of this extraordinary Martian find – less than 400 of the 50,000 meteorites discovered have been shown to come from our planetary neighbour.

Read more on BBC