martial
adjective · noun
Simple meaning
Of, about, or suggestive of war.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
mahrshuhlSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈmɑɹʃəl
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
adjective
comparable
Of, relating to, or suggestive of war; warlike.
comparable
Connected with or relating to armed forces or the profession of arms or military life.
comparable
Characteristic of or befitting a warrior; having a military bearing; soldierly.
noun
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.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B2 · Upper Intermediate (estimated)
- Frequency
- Common
- Typical Use
- Varies by meaning
More ways to use martial
- “He enjoyed watching films that featured martial arts and skilled fighters.”
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
Any of several Oriental arts of weaponless self-defense.
The body of law imposed by the military over civilian affairs (usually in time of war or civil crisis).
Brisk marching music suitable for troops marching in a military parade.
A military court convened to hear urgent charges of offenses committed in action.
A military court to try members of the armed services who are accused of serious breaches of martial law.
A court-martial to try soldiers for offenses less serious that than those committed in action.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.