martial

adjective

ˈmär-shəl How to pronounce martial (audio)
Definition of martialnext
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in naval
of or relating to the armed services one of the basic tenets of martial law

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of martial Harrison was slated to fight the returning Amanda Nunes — considered by many to be the greatest women’s mixed martial artist ever — in January before the injury. — Mark Puleo, New York Times, 14 June 2026 Two presidents, two reckonings In February, a Seoul court sentenced former President Yoon to life in prison for the martial-law attempt; his former defense minister got 30 years. — Joohee Cho, ABC News, 4 June 2026 Kenji Tanigaki’s Hong Kong epic, which opens in American theaters today via Lionsgate Films, stars some of the world’s most talented martial artists fighting quickly as a steady camera follows, ditching any blurriness that might come from lesser hands. — William Earl, Variety, 12 June 2026 Colston, the famous underdog receiver of the New Orleans Saints, and former mixed martial artist Nick Edwards have launched the Champion Fund, an investment fund built so that anyone—not just the Mark Cubans of the world—can buy into sports for as little as $500. — Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 20 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for martial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for martial
  1. military
  2. naval
  3. service
Adjective
  • In its early years, the flag was primarily used on battlefields, military forts, and ships as a form of identification.
    — Pete Cuddihy, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026
  • Hale pointed toward the sky and urged them to look up as three military jets roared above the crowd.
    — Steven Sloan, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
Definition of military
Adjective
  • Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images Defense heavyweight Lockheed Martin is leading the race to buy naval defense group Ultra Maritime, CNBC has learned.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 6 July 2026
  • True, nothing so grand as a massive dragon and naval battle took place, but seeing Rhaenyra start to change into someone almost unrecognizable from her younger, more innocent self was compelling in a deeper way.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 6 July 2026
Definition of naval
Adjective
  • For example, a bad production rollout can trigger customer-facing downtime; an overly permissive IAM change can increase the blast radius of a security breach; and a networking change can break inter-service communication.
    — Raman Varma, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • Centro Cocina Mexicana, Terminal A This counter-service version of Centro Cocina Mexicana serves classic Mexican dishes, plus an all-day breakfast menu.
    — Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 26 June 2026
Definition of service

Phrases Containing martial

Browse Nearby Words

marten
martial
martial law
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Cite this Entry

“Martial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/martial. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on martial

Nglish: Translation of martial for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about martial

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