Adjacent Words

Martial definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

M`ARTIAL, a. [L. martialis; Mars, the god of war.]
1. Pertaining to war; suited to war; as martial equipage; martial music; a martial appearance.
2. Warlike; brave; given to war; as a martial nation or people.
3. Suited to battle; as a martial array.
4. Belonging to war, or to an army and navy; opposed to civil; as martial law; a court martial.
5. Pertaining to Mars, or borrowing the properties of that planet.
The natures of the fixed start are esteemed martial or jovial, according to the colors by which they answer to those planets.
6. Having the properties if iron, called by the old chimists, Mars.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: (of persons) befitting a warrior; "a military bearing" [syn: soldierly, soldierlike, warriorlike, martial]
2: suggesting war or military life [syn: warlike, martial]
3: of or relating to the armed forces; "martial law" n
1: Roman poet noted for epigrams (first century BC)

Merriam Webster's

adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Latin martialis of Mars, from Mart-, Mars Date: 14th century 1. of, relating to, or suited for war or a warrior 2. relating to an army or to military life 3. experienced in or inclined to war ; warlike • martially adverb

Merriam Webster's

biographical name circa A.D. 40-circa 103 Marcus Valerius Martialis Roman epigrammatist

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. 1 of or appropriate to warfare. 2 warlike, brave; fond of fighting. Phrases and idioms: martial arts fighting sports such as judo and karate. martial law military government, involving the suspension of ordinary law. Derivatives: martially adv. Etymology: ME f. OF martial or L martialis of the Roman god Mars: see MARS

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Martial Mar"tial, a. [F., fr. L. martialis of or belonging to Mars, the god of war. Cf. March the month.] 1. Of, pertaining to, or suited for, war; military; as, martial music; a martial appearance. ``Martial equipage.'' --Milton. 2. Practiced in, or inclined to, war; warlike; brave. But peaceful kings, o'er martial people set, Each other's poise and counterbalance are. --Dryden. 3. Belonging to war, or to an army and navy; -- opposed to civil; as, martial law; a court-martial. 4. Pertaining to, or resembling, the god, or the planet, Mars. --Sir T. Browne. 5. (Old Chem. & Old Med.) Pertaining to, or containing, iron; chalybeate; as, martial preparations. [Archaic] Martial flowers (Med.), a reddish crystalline salt of iron; the ammonio-chloride of iron. [Obs.] Martial law, the law administered by the military power of a government when it has superseded the civil authority in time of war, or when the civil authorities are unable to enforce the laws. It is distinguished from military law, the latter being the code of rules for the regulation of the army and navy alone, either in peace or in war.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

Martial is used to describe things relating to soldiers or war. (FORMAL) The paper was actually twice banned under the martial regime. ADJ: usu ADJ n see also court martial

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. 1. Suited to war. 2. Warlike, brave, given to war. 3. Military.

Moby Thesaurus

aggressive, antagonistic, battling, bellicose, belligerent, bloodthirsty, bloody, bloody-minded, brave, chauvinist, chauvinistic, combative, contentious, courageous, enemy, ferocious, fierce, fighting, full of fight, hawkish, high-spirited, hostile, inimical, jingo, jingoish, jingoist, jingoistic, mettlesome, militant, militaristic, military, offensive, pugnacious, quarrelsome, saber-rattling, sanguinary, sanguineous, savage, scrappy, soldierlike, soldierly, spirited, stalwart, staunch, trigger-happy, truculent, unfriendly, unpacific, unpeaceable, unpeaceful, valiant, valorous, warlike, warmongering, warring