martial
adjective
mar·tial ˈmär-shəl 
1
: of, relating to, or suited for war or a warrior
martial music
a martial tone of voice
Tim Appelo
Tim Appelomartial prowess
2
: relating to an army or to military life
martial discipline
stories of martial tradition Ewen Macaskill
Ewen Macaskill3
: experienced in or inclined to war : warlike
its martial people fought the British to a standstill Mary Anne Weaver
Mary Anne Weaver martially
ˈmär-shə-lē
adverb 
Did you know?
Martial and Roman Mythology
Mars was the Roman god of war and one of the patron gods of Rome itself. He was responsible for everything military, from warriors to weapons to marching music. Thus, martial arts are skills of combat and self-defense also practiced as sport. When martial law is declared, a country's armed forces take over the functions of the police. And a court-martial is a military court or trial.
Synonyms
- military
- soldierly
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
the marching band played “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” and several other martial airs one of the basic tenets of martial law
Recent Examples on the Web That part of Terry's life had the most influence on him in terms of martial arts. Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 8 Sep. 2022 Along the way, Hirahara namechecks Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a martial arts movie buff who patronized the Kokusai Theatre, as well as other cultural touchstones. Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2022 The newest season of the martial-arts drama will see plenty of fighting, unlikely team-ups and potentially a big character death, according to a cryptic tease posted on social media from series co-creator Hayden Schlossberg on Twitter. Amanda Kondolojy, Orlando Sentinel, 1 Sep. 2022 Weapons including but not limited to: knives, explosives, stun guns, handcuffs, brass knuckles, sticks, clubs, batons, martial arts instruments, pepper spray, tear gas, etc. Emily Deletter, The Enquirer, 30 Aug. 2022 The martial-arts drama, based on a story by Bruce Lee, found a cult following during its initial run on Cinemax, enough for HBO Max to save it after the previous network stopped producing original programming. Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2022 Emily and Jay Harman, co-owners of HiYa Karate, with daughters Julia, 15, and Madeline, 10, at the martial arts center in Mount Airy on Wednesday, August 17, 2022. Allana Haynes, Baltimore Sun, 24 Aug. 2022 The actor actually won two golds: one in the gi (traditional martial arts uniform) category, in his belt and weight division, as well as one in the no-gi category, also in his weight and belt division. Alexandra Schonfeld, Peoplemag, 22 Aug. 2022 Eisenberg previously starred opposite David Zellner in the 2019 martial arts comedy The Art of Self-Defense. Emlyn Travis, EW.com, 20 Aug. 2022 See More
Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 8 Sep. 2022 Along the way, Hirahara namechecks Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a martial arts movie buff who patronized the Kokusai Theatre, as well as other cultural touchstones. Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2022 The newest season of the martial-arts drama will see plenty of fighting, unlikely team-ups and potentially a big character death, according to a cryptic tease posted on social media from series co-creator Hayden Schlossberg on Twitter. Amanda Kondolojy, Orlando Sentinel, 1 Sep. 2022 Weapons including but not limited to: knives, explosives, stun guns, handcuffs, brass knuckles, sticks, clubs, batons, martial arts instruments, pepper spray, tear gas, etc. Emily Deletter, The Enquirer, 30 Aug. 2022 The martial-arts drama, based on a story by Bruce Lee, found a cult following during its initial run on Cinemax, enough for HBO Max to save it after the previous network stopped producing original programming. Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2022 Emily and Jay Harman, co-owners of HiYa Karate, with daughters Julia, 15, and Madeline, 10, at the martial arts center in Mount Airy on Wednesday, August 17, 2022. Allana Haynes, Baltimore Sun, 24 Aug. 2022 The actor actually won two golds: one in the gi (traditional martial arts uniform) category, in his belt and weight division, as well as one in the no-gi category, also in his weight and belt division. Alexandra Schonfeld, Peoplemag, 22 Aug. 2022 Eisenberg previously starred opposite David Zellner in the 2019 martial arts comedy The Art of Self-Defense. Emlyn Travis, EW.com, 20 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Latin martialis of Mars, from Mart-, Mars
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing martial
Kids Definition
martial
adjective
mar·tial ˈmär-shəl
: having to do with or suitable for war
martial music
Biographical Definition
Martial
biographical name
Mar·tial ˈmär-shəl
circa a.d. 40–circa 103 Marcus Valerius Martialis Roman epigrammatist
martial
adjective
1
as in military
of, relating to, or suitable for war or a warrior the marching band played "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" and several other martial airs Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- military
- guerrilla
- soldierly
- warlike
- militaristic
- militant
- aggressive
- combative
- militarist
- warring
- bellicose
- mercenary
- belligerent
- pugnacious
- gladiatorial
- contentious
- antagonistic
- truculent
- quarrelsome
- scrappy
- argumentative
- hot-tempered
- fierce
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- civil
- civilian
- nonmilitary
- unsoldierly
- nonviolent
- peaceful
- peaceable
- pacific
- conciliatory
- benevolent
- amiable
- easygoing
- friendly
- complaisant
- amicable
- affable
- cordial
- gracious
- genial
- ingratiating
- obliging
- good-natured
2
as in naval
of or relating to the armed services one of the basic tenets of martial law Synonyms & Similar Words
- military
- naval
- service
- paramilitary
- mercenary
- militaristic
- warlike
- soldierly
- militant
- militarist
- gladiatorial
- enlisted
- regular
- GI
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- civil
- civilian
- nonmilitary