martial
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
relating to war, the military, or soldiers.
relating to or suggestive of war, the armed forces, or the profession of arms.
Simple“The country has a long martial history with many famous battles.”
In context“The parade was a display of martial discipline, with thousands of soldiers marching in perfect synchronisation past the viewing stand.”
UsageOften used to describe music, law, or history related to the military.
- 02 B1 Intermediate
used to describe traditional sports or skills used for fighting, like karate or judo.
denoting various traditional systems of combat and self-defence, typically of East Asian origin.
Simple“She has been practicing martial arts since she was six years old.”
In context“The community centre offers classes in various martial arts, including judo, karate, and taekwondo, for students of all ages.”
UsageAlmost exclusively used in the plural phrase 'martial arts'.
Synonymscombat sports - 03 C2 Proficiency
related to the planet Mars.
pertaining to the planet Mars; historically used in alchemy to refer to iron.
Simple“Ancient books sometimes used martial symbols to represent the metal iron.”
In context“In older astronomical texts, martial observations referred specifically to the movements and perceived influences of the red planet.”
Teacher's tipIn modern English, 'Martian' has almost entirely replaced 'martial' for planetary references.
Synonyms
Usage martial law
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).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.