Thus, martial arts are skills of combat and self-defense also practiced as sport. When martial law is declared, a country's armed forces take over the functions of the police.

MARTIAL definition: inclined or disposed to war; warlike. See examples of martial used in a sentence.

After playing youth football for Les Ulis, Martial began his professional career at Lyon, before transferring to Monaco in 2013 for a fee of €6 million.

/ ˈmɑr·ʃəl / Add to word list of or suitable for war (Definition of martial from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

martial in British English (ˈmɑːʃəl ) adjective of, relating to, or characteristic of war, soldiers, or the military life

1. inclined or disposed to war; warlike. 2. pertaining to or suitable for war or the armed forces: martial music. 3. characteristic of or befitting a warrior: a martial stride. mar′tial•ism, n. mar′tial•ist, n. n. …

Jan 18, 2026 · martial (comparative more martial, superlative most martial) (comparable) Of, relating to, or suggestive of war; warlike.

Martial definition: Of, relating to, or suggestive of war.

relating to or suitable for war: martial music. mar•tial•ly, adv. WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025 mar•tial (mär′ shəl), adj. inclined or disposed to …

Of or pertaining to war; of warlike character; military; warlike; soldierly: as, a martial equipage or appearance; martial music; a martial nation. Having reference to a state of war, or to a military …