marshal
noun
mar·shal
| \ ËmĂ€r-shÉl
\
\
variants:
or less commonly marshall
Definition of marshal
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a
: a high official in the household of a medieval king, prince, or noble originally having charge of the cavalry but later usually in command of the military forces
b
: a person who arranges and directs the ceremonial aspects of a gathering
a parade marshal
2a
: field marshal
b
: a general officer of the highest military rank
3a
: an officer having charge of prisoners
b(1)
: a ministerial (see ministerial sense 3) officer appointed for a judicial district (as of the U.S.) to execute the process of the courts and perform various duties similar to those of a sheriff
(2)
: a city law officer entrusted with particular duties
c
: the administrative head of a city police department or fire department
marshal
verb
variants:
or less commonly marshall
marshaled
or marshalled;
marshaling
or marshalling\ ËmĂ€rsh-(É-)liĆ
\
\
Definition of marshal (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: to place in proper rank or position
marshaling the troops
2
: to bring together and order in an appropriate or effective way
marshal arguments marshaled her thoughts before answering the question
3
: to lead ceremoniously or solicitously : usher
marshaling her little group of children down the street
: to take form or order
ideas marshaling neatly
Keep scrolling for more
Other Words from marshal
Noun
marshalcy
\ ËmĂ€r-shÉl-sÄ
\
noun
\
noun
marshalship
\ ËmĂ€r-shÉl-Ëship
\
noun
\
noun
Synonyms & Antonyms for marshal
Synonyms: Verb
Antonyms: Verb
demob [chiefly British], demobilize
Visit the Thesaurus for More
Examples of marshal in a Sentence
Verb
She carefully marshaled her thoughts before answering the question. marshaled their forces for battleRecent Examples on the Web: Noun
Fire crews were dispatched around 4 p.m. on Aug. 30, shortly after a fire marshal from Howard County who happened to be in the area saw smoke from the restaurant and around the same time patrons were alerting employees to the smell of smoke. — Cody Boteler, baltimoresun.com, "Fire at Loafers Bar and Grill in Catonsville still under investigation," 4 Sep. 2019 In 1992, white separatist Randy Weaver surrendered to authorities in Naples, Idaho, ending an 11-day siege by federal agents that had claimed the lives of Weaverâs wife, son and a deputy US marshal. — BostonGlobe.com, "This day in history," 31 Aug. 2019 Seated directly in front of them were a U.S. marshal named William Richardson and his wife. — Gary Kamiya, SFChronicle.com, "San Francisco love story: A hooker, her gambling man and a hanging," 23 Aug. 2019 According to the state police, a resident state trooper was helping a state marshal with an eviction at the address when Sabino acted and spoke in a way that prompted the trooper to call a SWAT team and bomb squad. — Christine Dempsey, courant.com, "Man who barricaded himself in Hebron house during eviction to face judge," 6 Aug. 2019 More than once, a marshal there has walked up to me to ask about my day. — Charles Bethea, The New Yorker, "The Mail," 29 May 2019 Since the 1970s, Barboza has been a prominent public official in this town, serving on various boards, and as a police officer, volunteer firefighter, state fire marshal, and civil defense director. — Amanda Milkovits, BostonGlobe.com, "Demonstration held outside home of Bristol resident accused of molesting boys decades ago," 5 Aug. 2019 Some news accounts said that rum runners, who were tired of dealing with Melvinâs uncle, the town marshal, sought to kidnap his son out of revenge. — John Caniglia, cleveland.com, "âA missing child can never be forgottenâ: Police, surviving sister seek answers in 1928 disappearance of Orrville boy," 21 July 2019 McIlroy finished, signed for his 79, signed a flag for a marshal, hopped a fence on his way to media interviews, and showed patience and a great sense of humor with the media. — Michael Rosenberg, SI.com, "Rory McIlroy's Portrush Homecoming Gets Off to a Disastrous Start," 18 July 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
The mothers had to appear in the reform pictures, and these images were marshaled as evidence in the case made against them by the social workers and the sociologists. — Longreads, "A Minor Figure," 20 July 2019 Meanwhile, Young had perhaps her best game in an Aces uniform, scoring a season-high 17 points and marshaling the offense well with a game-high five assists. — Kellen Becoats, SI.com, "Can the Aces Remain Dominant Without Aâja Wilson and a Recurring Turnover Problem?," 5 Aug. 2019 As Biden marshals his arguments, Harris is taking the stage in a defensive crouch. — Philip Elliott, Time, "Joe Biden is Ready for a Debate Rematch. This Time He's in a Fighting Mood.," 31 July 2019 Eliason arrived at the Gavilan College parking lot, where festivalgoers had marshaled to reunite with family. — Alex Horton, Washington Post, "After a mass shooting upended Gilroy, a local reporter had searing words for the national media," 30 July 2019 Yet the outrage marshaled by the media, in their role as Democratic handmaidens, is deeply cynical, designed to separate Trump from suburban voters in 2020. — John Kass, Twin Cities, "John Kass: Race card loses its sting as itâs overused," 29 July 2019 In the modern era, most presidents with substantial legislative legacies benefit from trying to find common ground with the other party and to marshal the support of a wider swath of the electorate through inclusive messaging. — Fred Bauer, National Review, "The Fundamental Tension of the Trump Presidency," 19 July 2019 The picture Peters paints is one of a man capable of rising to the top of his profession and marshaling a team of lawyers to protect himself from the consequences of any misdeeds. — Anna North, Vox, "Les Moonves and the myth of uncontrollable male desire," 12 Sep. 2018 The beverage industry has fought soda taxes, which have also been passed in Philadelphia and Seattle, with multimillion-dollar campaigns and by marshaling local business interests. — Alejandro Lazo, WSJ, "California Shields Big Soda From Local Taxes," 29 June 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'marshal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
