# martial

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈmɑːʃəl/ · frequency rank #6,492

## Definitions
1. Of, relating to, or suggestive of war; warlike.
2. Connected with or relating to armed forces or the profession of arms or military life.
3. Characteristic of or befitting a warrior; having a military bearing; soldierly.
4. Pertaining to the astrological influence of the planet Mars.
5. Of or relating to the planet Mars; Martian.
6. Containing, or relating to, iron (which was symbolically associated with the planet Mars by alchemists); chalybeate, ferric, ferrous.

## Etymology
From Middle English martial, marcial, mercial, mercialle (“relating to war, warlike; military; for use in fighting or warfare; brave, hardy; combative, fierce; ruthless, vicious; domineering, overbearing”), from Middle French martial (modern French martial (“martial”)), or directly from its etymon Latin mārtiālis (“of or pertaining to Mars, the Roman god of war”), from Mārtius (“of or pertaining to Mars”) + -ālis (suffix forming adjectives of relationship). The English word is cognate with Italian marziale (“martial”), Portuguese marcial (“martial”), Spanish marcial (“martial”).

## Easily confused with
- **martin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/martial-vs-martin)
- **mortal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/martial-vs-mortal)
- **Martian** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/martial-vs-martian)
- **martini** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/martial-vs-martini)
- **Martina** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/martial-vs-martina)
- **Maria** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/maria-vs-martial)
- **Marta** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/marta-vs-martial)
- **Martha** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/martha-vs-martial)
- **Marian** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/marian-vs-martial)
- **Mariah** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mariah-vs-martial)
- **Marcia** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/marcia-vs-martial)
- **martel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/martel-vs-martial)
- **Marshal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/marshal-vs-martial)
- **marital** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/marital-vs-martial)
- **marginal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/marginal-vs-martial)

## Common misspellings (9)
`amrtial`, `marrtial`, `martail`, `martiall`, `martila`, `marttial`, `matrial`, `mmartial`, `mratial`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/martial