march

¹ American  

[mahrch] / mɑrtʃ /

verb (used without object)

1. to walk with regular and measured tread, as soldiers on parade; advance in step in an organized body.

2. to walk in a stately, deliberate manner.

   The graduates marched to the front of the auditorium to the music of “Pomp and Circumstance.”

3. to engage in a procession organized as a demonstration of protest or support (sometimes followed byon ).

   During the trade talks, thousands marched in support of farmers and the farming industry.

   Municipal workers marched on city hall to protest cuts in garbage collection.

4. to move aggressively toward a place in preparation for confrontation or battle (followed byon ).

   The angry mob marched on the Bastille.

5. to go forward; advance; proceed.

   Time marches on.

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verb (used with object)

1. to cause to march.

   He marched his troops along the Niagara River toward Buffalo.

noun

1. the act or course of marching.

2. the distance covered in a single period of marching.

   The edge of the desert is three days' march away.

3. forward movement; advance; progress.

   The unrestrained march of science and technology may have some alarming social consequences.

4. a piece of music with a rhythm suited to accompany marching.

5. a procession organized as a demonstration of protest or support.

   There were antiwar marches in major cities across the nation.

   On July 29 there will be a march for universal healthcare.

idioms

1. on the march, moving ahead; progressing; advancing.

   Automation is on the march.

2. steal a march on, to gain an advantage over, especially secretly or slyly.

march ² American  

[mahrch] / mɑrtʃ /

noun

1. a tract of land along a border of a country; frontier.

2. marches, the border districts between England and Scotland, or England and Wales.

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verb (used without object)

1. to touch at the border; border.

March ³ American  

[mahrch] / mɑrtʃ /

noun

1. the third month of the year, containing 31 days. Mar.

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March ⁴ American  

[mahrch, mahrkh] / mɑrtʃ, mɑrx /

noun

1. Francis Andrew, 1825–1911, U.S. philologist and lexicographer.

2. Fredric Frederick McIntyre Bickel, 1897–1975, U.S. actor.

3. Peyton Conway 1864–1955, U.S. army officer (son of Francis Andrew March).

4. German name of the Morava.

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March. ⁵ American  

abbreviation

1. Marchioness.

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M.Arch. ⁶ American  

abbreviation

1. Master of Architecture.

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march ¹ British  

/ mɑːtʃ /

verb

1. (intr) to walk or proceed with stately or regular steps, usually in a procession or military formation

2. (tr) to make (a person or group) proceed

   he marched his army to the town

3. (tr) to traverse or cover by marching

   to march a route

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noun

1. the act or an instance of marching

2. a regular stride

   a slow march

3. a long or exhausting walk

4. advance; progression (of time, etc)

5. a distance or route covered by marching

6. a piece of music, usually in four beats to the bar, having a strongly accented rhythm

7. to gain an advantage over, esp by a secret or underhand enterprise

march ² British  

/ mɑːtʃ /

noun

1. Also called: marchland.  a frontier, border, or boundary or the land lying along it, often of disputed ownership

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verb

1. (intr; often foll by upon or with) to share a common border (with)

March ³ British  

/ mɑːtʃ /

noun

1. the third month of the year, consisting of 31 days

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March ⁴ British  

/ març /

noun

1. the German name for the Morava

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March. ⁵ British  

abbreviation

1. Marchioness

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MArch ⁶ British  

abbreviation

1. Master of Architecture

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march More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing march

• steal a march on

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Usage

What happens in March? March is the third month of the year. It follows February and is followed by April. It has 31 days. March is notable because it is one of the two times a year when an equinox occurs. Around March 20–21, the vernal equinox marks the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and the autumnal equinox marks the beginning of fall in the Southern Hemisphere. (The reverse happens around September 22–23.)In places where spring begins in March, the proverb March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb is used to refer to the fact that the month often begins with harsh winter weather that eventually gives way to mild spring weather. In the U. S., March also includes the day on which people in many places adjust their clocks for daylight-saving time by setting them an hour later. March is Women’s History Month and March 8 is International Women’s Day. In the U. S., St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17. The U. S. college basketball tournament known as March Madness starts in March. The word march is also a common word meaning “to walk in a military formation” or “to walk in a purposeful way.” It’s not related to the name of the month. Example: We had a blizzard last week and now people are walking around in shorts—that’s March weather for you.

Other Word Forms

• marcher noun

Etymology

Origin of march¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English marchen, from Middle French marcher, Old French marchi(e)r “to tread, move,” from Frankish markōn (unattested) presumably, “to mark, pace out (a boundary)”; mark ¹

Origin of march²

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English march(e), from Anglo-French, Old French, from Germanic; compare Old English gemearc, Gothic marka “boundary”; mark ¹

Origin of March³

before 1050; Middle English March ( e ) < Anglo-French Marche; replacing Old English Martius < Latin, short for Mārtius mēnsis month of Mars ( Mārti-, stem of Mārs + -us adj. suffix)

Explanation

To march is to walk with deliberate, short steps that fall in a regular rhythm. You can take your time walking into school in the morning, or you can march right up the steps and through the door. People can march just about anywhere they walk, although the verb brings to mind military processions of soldiers who march in unison. Marching bands are another example of people who march together this way. You can also use the word when you're talking about a group of demonstrators who decide to march in protest or support of a particular cause. March comes from the Middle French word marcher, which originally meant "to trample," and later came to mean "to walk."

Example Sentences

The magic mix is then rapidly poured into a long line of empty bottles that march along a conveyor belt like soldiers.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026

People who attend a march or protest — many of them for the first time in their lives — are being converted into long-term pro-democracy activists.

From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026

The Twin Cities is hosting the flagship march on Saturday.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

Thousands of protesters have gathered in central London for an anti far-right march organised by Together Alliance.

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

An unconscious Dad, Uncle Ty, and JP stand up straight as boards, and this woman, whoever she is, makes them march like soldiers.

From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas