Martial

How to spell martial

7 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce martial

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does martial mean?

1. adjectiveRelating to war, fighting, or the military.

Martial in a sentence

• The city was placed under martial law after the uprising.

• She has trained in several martial arts since childhood.

Where does martial come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word comes from the Latin martialis, meaning 'belonging to Mars', the Roman god of war. Mars gave his name not only to the red planet but to everything connected with soldiering, combat, and military discipline, so martialis naturally came to mean 'warlike' or 'relating to the army'. English took the word in through Old French during the late 1300s, keeping the sense of anything to do with war and fighting. The same god lies behind the month name March, the season when Roman campaigns traditionally began, and behind personal names such as Marcus and Martin. The spelling trap is the -tial ending, which sounds exactly like the unrelated word 'marshal' (an officer or to organise), so the two are constantly mixed up in writing even though they share no root.

How the word is built

• mart- (from Mars, the Roman god of war)
• -ial (adjective suffix: relating to)

Words that sound like martial

They sound the same but mean different things, so the meaning decides which spelling to write.

• marshal: An official who keeps order, directs a ceremony or event, or holds a senior rank in some armed forces and emergency services.