Word.ws English Dictionary

martial

Syllables: mart·ial/ˈmɑːʃəl//ˈmɑɹʃəl/

martial adjective: of, relating to, or suggestive of war; warlike.

Adjective (1)

martial (comparative more martial, superlative most martial)

  1. (comparable) Of, relating to, or suggestive of war; warlike.
    • The captaine he, which climbes for high advaunce, / By piercing blade imbrude in enimies blood, / In martiall ſhewes who formoſt leades the daunce, [...]1576, George Whetstone, “The Ortchard of Repentance: […]”, in The Rocke of Regard, […], London: […] [H. Middleton] for Robert Waley, →OCLC; republished in J[ohn] P[ayne] Collier, editor, The Rocke of...
    • Sir, if I were to yeeld a reaſon of my preſent preſumption for thus boldly offering vnto your worſhipful view this little hyſtoricall Abridgemẽt of Martiall exploits, by ſundrye moſt famous warriours and renowmed Capitaines long ſince atchieued: [...]1580, Rutilius Rufus [pseudonym; Thomas Newton], “[The Epistle Dedicatorie]”, in A View of Valyaunce. Describing the Famous Feates, and Martiall Exploites of Two Most Mightie Nations, the Romains and...
  2. (comparable) Connected with or relating to armed forces or the profession of arms or military life.
    • [D]ivers commissions under your Majestie's Greate Seale have issued forth, by which certaine persons have been assigned and appointed commissioners, with power and authoritie to proceed within the land, according to the justice of martiall lawe, against such soulders and marriners, or other...1628 June 7, The Petition of Right; republished in Francis Lieber, “Appendix V. The Petition of Right.”, in On Civil Liberty and Self-government, enlarged edition, Philadelphia, Pa.: J. B. Lippincott...
    • He was lying on the table with head pillowed on the broken concertina and body sheltered with the Federal Flag, looking like a martial corpse. He did not wake properly till Blossom dragged him to the tap outside and turned the water on him.1938, Xavier Herbert, “Dawn of a New Era”, in Capricornia, Sydney, N.S.W.: Angus & Robertson, →OCLC; republished New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton-Century, 1943, →OCLC, page 194
  3. (comparable) Characteristic of or befitting a warrior; having a military bearing; soldierly.
    • With Marſhall ſtalke he paſſed through our watch.c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shake-speare, The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: […] (First Quarto), London: […] [Valentine Simmes] for N[icholas] L[ing] and Iohn Trundell...
    • His Martial Valour Flanders will confeſs; / And France Regrets his Managing the Peace. / Faithful to England’s Intereſt and her King: / The greateſt Reaſon of our Murmuring.1701 January (indicated as 1700), [Daniel Defoe], “Part II”, in The True-Born Englishman. A Satyr, [London: s.n.], →OCLC, page 58
  4. (not comparable, obsolete) Pertaining to the astrological influence of the planet Mars.
    • The Sun to the Quartile or Oppoſition of Mars. This Direction threatens the native with ſome martial Diſeaſe or Infirmity, as Fevers peſtilential, exceſs of Choler and Blood corrupted; it ſheweth danger by Fires, Wounds and Scalds, ill ſucceſs in Affairs, danger by Thieves and Robbers, ill having...1682, Joseph Blagrave, “[The Effects of Directions.] The Sun Directed unto Promittors.”, in Obadiah Blagrave, editor, Blagrave’s Introduction to Astrology. In Three Parts. […], London: Printed by E....
    • A martial man is many times full-faced, with a lively, high colour, like sun-burnt, or like raw tanned leather; a fierce countenance, his eyes being sparkling or sharp and darting, and of yellow colour; his hair, both of head and beard, being reddish (but herein you must vary according to the sign).1852, William Lilly, Zadkiel [pseudonym; Richard James Morrison], “Another Brief Description of the Shapes and Forms of the Planets”, in An Introduction to Astrology […]: A Grammar of Astrology, and...
  5. (not comparable, obsolete) Of or relating to the planet Mars; Martian.
    • [R]ound about the plain / All hid with slaughter'd carcasses, yet still did hotly reign / The martial planet; [...][1611?], Homer, “Book IV”, in Geo[rge] Chapman, transl., The Iliads of Homer Prince of Poets. […], London: […] Nathaniell Butter, →OCLC; republished as The Iliads of Homer, Prince of Poets, […], new...
    • For, having found out by a careful series of observations, the parts of Mars' orbit where the planet entered upon its various seasons, he [William Herschel] noted that, soon after mid-winter of the northern hemisphere, the northern white spot attained its greatest dimensions, while the southern was...1869 February 6, “The Planet of War”, in E[neas] S[weetland] Dallas, editor, Once a Week, volume III, number 58 (New Series), London: Bradbury, Evans, and Co. […], →OCLC, page 74, column 1
  6. (not comparable, obsolete) Containing, or relating to, iron (which was symbolically associated with the planet Mars by alchemists); chalybeate, ferric, ferrous.
    • martial preparations martial flowers (a reddish crystalline salt of iron)
    • This dephlogisticated martial vitriol, as M. [Torbern] Bergman calls it, is often found in nature, particularly in the ores of alum.1790, Thomas Garnett, “Experiment XI”, in Experiments and Observations on the Horley-Green Spaw, near Halifax. […], Bradford, Yorkshire: Printed for the author, by George Nicholson; and sold by T....

Noun (1)

martial (plural martials)

  1. (obsolete) A soldier, a warrior.
    • The martials (this is the name of my pirates) will pass in her eyes for an honest family of fishermen; I will go on your account, and make two or three visits to your young lady; I will order her certain potions, and at the end of eight days she will make acquaintance with the cemetery of Asnieres.c. 1850, Eugène Sue, “The Conversation”, in Charles Rochford, transl., The Mysteries of Paris, Translated from the French, London: Charles Daly, […], →OCLC, part II, page 213
  2. (obsolete) A celestial object under the astrological influence of the planet Mars.
  3. (obsolete) Synonym of Martian (“inhabitant of the planet Mars”).
    • The Martials, if there be Martials in any sense in which there are terrestrials on our own planet, may have no eyes at all; their whole civilisation, if they have say, may depend on senses of which we have absolutely no trace, [...]1892, The Spectator: A Weekly Review of Politics, Literature, Theology, and Art, volume LXIX, London: F. C. Westley, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 218, column 2
    Synonyms:
    Martian

Proper noun capitalized: Martial

Martial

  1. A male given name from Latin, narrowly applied to certain historic persons (but some of its foreign cognates are modern given names).
    • Saint Martial was the first bishop of Limoges, circa 250
  2. An Anglicized cognomen or given name of the Roman poet Marcus Valerius Martialis, born in Spain in the first century AD and noted for his epigrams.

Adjective (2) capitalized: Martial

Martial (not comparable)

  1. (obsolete) Alternative letter-case form of martial (“of or relating to the planet Mars”).
    • For, having found out by a careful series of observations, the parts of Mars' orbit where the planet entered upon its various seasons, he [William Herschel] noted that, soon after mid-winter of the northern hemisphere, the northern white spot attained its greatest dimensions, while the southern was...1869 February 6, “The Planet of War”, in E[neas] S[weetland] Dallas, editor, Once a Week, volume III, number 58 (New Series), London: Bradbury, Evans, and Co. […], →OCLC, page 74, column 1
  2. (obsolete) Alternative letter-case form of Containing, or relating to, iron
    • The association of the heavenly bodies with known metals and also with human organs and destinies goes back to ancient Chaldea, the land of astrologers. In Chaucer’s words: ‘The seven bodies eek, lo hear anon. Sol gold is, and Luna silver we declare; Mars yron, Mercurie is quyksilver; Saturnian...2013, John Read, From Alchemy to Chemistry

Noun (2) capitalized: Martial

Martial (plural Martials)

  1. (obsolete) Alternative letter-case form of martial (“inhabitant of the planet Mars; Martian”).
    • The Martials, if there be Martials in any sense in which there are terrestrials on our own planet, may have no eyes at all; their whole civilisation, if they have say, may depend on senses of which we have absolutely no trace, […]1892, The Spectator: A Weekly Review of Politics, Literature, Theology, and Art, volume LXIX, London: F. C. Westley, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 218, column 2

martial meaning in Malayalam and Nepali

martial in Malayalam

മാർഷ്യൽ, ആയോധന

martial in Nepali

मार्सनल

Examples of martial in a sentence

  • But peaceful Kings, o'r martial people ſet, / Each others poize and counter-ballance are.1667, John Dryden, Annus Mirabilis: The Year of Wonders, 1666. […], London: […] Henry Herringman, […], →OCLC, stanza 12, page 4:
  • They [the Dutch] were, however, repelled by the valour of the Engliſh, and the matter is now under a civil deliberation, which makes it improper for a Martial Review.1763, [Oliver Goldsmith], The Martial Review; or, A General History of the Late Wars; […], London: Printed for J[ohn] Newbery, […], →OCLC...
  • Ah!—each the pride of Iſrael's martial train, / Now breathleſs, on their native mountains ſlain!1774 March, Thomas Mytton, “David’s Lamentation for the Deaths of Saul and Jonathan, 2 Samuel c. 1”, in Sylvanus Urban [pseudonym; Edward...
  • Martial arts were developed for fighting, but studying them doesn't make the practitioner a hostile individual.2015, Noel Plaugher, “Martial Postures”, in Standing Qigong for Health and Martial Arts: Zhan Zhuang, London; Philadelphia, Pa.: Singing...

All 40 example sentences with martial

Synonyms of martial

Forms of martial

Adjective
comparativemore martial
superlativemost martial
alternative formMartial
alternative formmartiall
Noun
pluralmartials
pluralMartials

Origin of martial

From Middle English martial, marcial, mercial, mercialle (“relating to war, warlike; military; for use in fighting or warfare; brave, hardy; combative, fierce; ruthless, vicious; domineering, overbearing”), from Middle French martial (modern French martial (“martial”)), or directly from its etymon Latin mārtiālis (“of or pertaining to Mars, the Roman god of war”), from Mārtius (“of or pertaining to Mars”) + -ālis (suffix forming adjectives of relationship). The English word is cognate with Italian marziale (“martial”), Portuguese marcial (“martial”), Spanish marcial (“martial”).

From Latin Martialis (“Roman cognomen”), from martiālis (“belonging or dedicated to the Mars, the Roman god of war, or to war”), from Mārs (“the god Mars; the planet Mars”) + -ālis (suffix forming adjectives of relationship from nouns).

Words formed from martial

Phrases with martial

Words that rhyme with martial

Questions about martial

What does martial mean?
Martial means of, relating to, or suggestive of war; warlike.
What is martial in Malayalam?
Martial in Malayalam is മാർഷ്യൽ, ആയോധന. See Martial meaning in Malayalam.
How do you use martial in a sentence?
But peaceful Kings, o'r martial people ſet, / Each others poize and counter-ballance are.
What part of speech is martial?
Martial can be an adjective, a noun or a proper noun.
How do you pronounce martial?
Martial is pronounced /ˈmɑːʃəl/ (UK).

Words near martial in the dictionary

  1. Marthavale
  2. Marthe
  3. marthozite
  4. Marths
  5. Marti Ke
  6. martial
  7. martial art
  8. martial artist
  9. martial artists
  10. martial arts
  11. martial eagle

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: martial (page history and authors); Martial (page history and authors); martial (Malayalam, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license); martial (Nepali, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated:

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-martial.wav, en-us-martial.ogg.

Cite this entry: “martial.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/martial. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.