martial art

noun

: any of several arts of combat and self-defense (such as karate and judo) that are widely practiced as sport
martial artist noun

Examples of martial art in a Sentence

He was trained in the martial arts.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The couple worked for Amazon, and their son attended martial arts classes during summer break. — Laura Romero, ABC News, 3 July 2026 From now through Sunday night, the outdoor stage will feature pan-Asian acts including dance, taiko, K-pop and martial arts to keep the crowds entertained. — Linda Zavoral, Mercury News, 18 June 2026 In the clip, the robot performs exaggerated, erratic movements, raising its arms into a martial arts-style fighting stance before lunging toward people around it. — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 5 July 2026 May 17 was chosen to mark the day Lee left Hong Kong and returned to San Francisco at age 18, a pivotal moment that helped launch his acting and martial arts teaching career. — Kassia Bonesteel, CBS News, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for martial art

Word History

First Known Use

1904, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of martial art was in 1904

Rhymes for martial art

See All Rhymes for martial art

Browse Nearby Words

Martial
martial art
martial eagle
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Cite this Entry

“Martial art.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/martial%20art. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

martial art

noun
: any of several arts of combat and self-defense (as karate and judo) that are widely practiced as a sport
martial artist noun

More from Merriam-Webster on martial art

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about martial art

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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