martial

¹

[ mahr-shuhl ]

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.

Martial

²

[ mahr-shuhl ]

noun

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

Martial

¹

/ ˈmɑːʃəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to Mars

martial

²

/ ˈmɑːʃəl /

adjective

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

Martial

³

/ ˈmɑːʃəl /

noun

1. Martial?40?104MRomanSpanishWRITING: epigrammatistWRITING: poet full name Marcus Valerius Martialis. ?40–?104 ad , Latin epigrammatist and poet, born in Spain

Derived Forms

• ˈmartialist, noun
• ˈmartialness, noun
• ˈmartialism, noun
• ˈmartially, adverb

Other Words From

• martial·ism noun
• martial·ist noun
• martial·ly adverb
• martial·ness noun
• non·martial adjective
• non·martial·ly adverb
• non·martial·ness noun
• un·martial adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of martial¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of martial¹

C14: from Latin martiālis of Mars ¹

Example Sentences

Although they dress like nuns styled by Jean Paul Gaultier and hold titles like Reverend Mother, they adhere to a regimen of martial arts training and learn how to be living lie detectors.

From Salon

What qualified these masters of digital martial arts to perform such a task?

From Salon

Will Stone, the MP for Swindon North, has practised the martial art for 17 years and is also a black belt in judo.

From BBC

But it’s also their shared love of the UFC, and mixed martial arts in general, hints at some of the common ground they may have during the interview.

From BBC

Against all odds and ethical soundness, Sean is now Jimmy’s greatest success story in part because he moved into his pool house and redirected his rage into full-contact mixed martial arts classes.

From Salon

More About Martial

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.

Where does martial come from?

The first records of martial come from the 1300s. It derives from the Latin Mārtiālis, referring to Mars, the god of war in Roman mythology.

Sometimes, martial means “inclined or disposed to war,” such as when it’s applied to notoriously warlike societies, like the ancient Spartans, the Vikings, or the Mongols under Genghis Khan.

More commonly, martial is used in a general way to describe something that has to do with war or combat. Martial arts are the traditional forms of Asian self-defense or combat, such as karate and kung fu. Martial law refers to a situation in which military forces are used to temporarily keep order in an area when civil authority has broken down. A court–martial is a military court in which soldiers are tried for violating military law.

Martial should not be confused with its homophone marshal, which is the title of a high-ranking military officer.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to martial?

• martialism (noun)
• martialist (noun)
• martially (adverb)
• martialness (noun)

What are some synonyms for martial?

• military
• warlike

What are some words that share a root or word element with martial? 

• Mars
• martial arts
• martial law
• court-martial

What are some words that often get used in discussing martial?

 

• war
• combat
• soldier
• militaristic
• belligerent
• society
• music

 

What are some words martial may be commonly confused with?

• marshal
• marital

How is martial used in real life?

Martial is most commonly used in phrases that refer to combat, like martial arts, or the military, like martial law and court-martial.

“Bruce’s intention was, ‘How can I, through martial arts or
my philosophy, bring people together?’ I think we must try to understand Bruce Lee, not just Bruce Lee as a martial artist, but also as a humanitarian and also a good cause to bring people
together.” -Sifu Ted Wong, pic.twitter.com/IbQkwaS2I4

— Bruce Lee (@brucelee) November 17, 2019

I'm reading a history book about the USA in the dawn of the 20th century, and the rise of martial society during prosperity.

— Denton Froese (@Labville) June 21, 2011

Valor of Indian soldiers in the world war fighting for the British was well known.Sikhs in particular were known for their martial spirit.

— suraj yadav (@suraj_yadav) January 23, 2016

Try using martial!

True or False?

The words martial and marshal are synonyms.