martial

¹ American  

[mahr-shuhl] / ˈmɑr ʃəl /

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.

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Martial ² American  

[mahr-shuhl] / ˈmɑr ʃəl /

noun

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

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Martial ¹ British  

/ ˈmɑːʃəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to Mars

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Martial ² British  

/ ˈmɑːʃəl /

noun

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

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martial ³ British  

/ ˈmɑːʃəl /

adjective

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

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Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of martial

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

Example Sentences

The court said Yoon's martial law had been carried out as a "top-down insurrection" and could be understood as a "palace coup".

From Barron's

Besigye's case was initially tried as a court martial but later moved to a civilian court after the Supreme Court ruled it was unconstitutional to try civilians in military courts.

From Barron's

He cut his teeth as a martial arts expert and stand-up comic before becoming an oddball character in the mid-1990s television sitcom “News Radio.”

From The Wall Street Journal

On Friday he was found guilty of obstruction of justice and a litany of other crimes related to the martial law declaration and its chaotic aftermath.

From Barron's

This is the first of the verdicts in four trials linked to his shock martial law decree.

From BBC