Martial
proper nounadjectivenouncommon in dialogue
- United Kingdom//ˈmɑːʃəl//
- United States//ˈmɑɹʃəl//
A male given name from Latin, narrowly applied to certain historic persons (but some of its foreign cognates are modern given names).
proper noun
- 1
A male given name from Latin, narrowly applied to certain historic persons (but some of its foreign cognates are modern given names).
Saint Martial was the first bishop of Limoges, circa 250
- 2
An Anglicized cognomen or given name of the Roman poet Marcus Valerius Martialis, born in Spain in the first century AD and noted for his epigrams.
Etymology
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).
adjective
- 1
Variant of martialobsoleteAlternative letter-case form of martial (“of or relating to the planet Mars”).
- 2
Variant of ContainingobsoleteAlternative letter-case form of Containing, or relating to, iron
noun
- 1
Variant of martialobsoleteAlternative letter-case form of martial (“inhabitant of the planet Mars; Martian”).
The Martials, if there be Martials in any sense in which there are terrestrials on our own planet, may have no eyes at all; their whole civilisation, if they have say, may depend on senses of which we have absolutely no trace, […]
Forms
- plural
- Martials
Martial · A male given name from Latin, narrowly applied to certain historic persons (but some of its foreign cognates are modern given names).
Martian · Of or relating to the planet Mars, or (science fiction) its…martin · Many of the various passerine birds of the family…Martin · A male given name from Latin originally given in honor of a…