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

Senators voted 54-45 for 48-year-old Republican Mullin, a former wrestler and martial arts fighter who previously served as a senator for Oklahoma.

From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026

Chuck Norris, a celebrated martial artist and action star known for ‘Walker, Texas Ranger,’ died Thursday in Kauai, Hawaii, his family said Friday.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 23, 2026

Norris was known for his roles in the action crime series Walker, Texas Ranger and also the martial arts film The Way Of The Dragon - fighting superstar Bruce Lee.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

The Los Angeles Police Department wasn’t hiring, so he worked as a file clerk at Northrop Aircraft temporarily and eventually began opening training schools for martial arts.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

I’ve practiced martial arts ever since, in those obscure corners of the globe, mostly as a way to keep in shape for basketball.

From "Shelter (Book One): A Mickey Bolitar Novel" by Harlan Coben