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
Example Sentences
He was trained in the martial arts.
Recent Examples on the Web Lo, 33, dominated the martial art for the past decade and had been scheduled to compete in another tournament this week in Austin. 
Terrence Mccoy, Washington Post, 8 Aug. 2022 Fighting back, Heidi works her way through a swathe of Nazi storm troopers via martial art moves and deft work with a Swiss army knife, then a battle axe. John Hopewell, Variety, 26 May 2022 Rahill, who had played high school ice hockey for four years and football for one, found the physicality of the martial art appealing. Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 3 June 2022 Heads are split open with an axe, and the makeup woman (Bérénice Bejo), for no good reason, turns out to be a master of the military martial art Krav Maga. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 17 May 2022 Her itineraries often include horseback riding along nearby beaches; lessons in capoeira, the Brazilian martial art; and private dinners at local restaurants. Devorah Lev-tov, Travel + Leisure, 9 Apr. 2022 Originally developed as an ancient Chinese martial art for self-defense, it has since been adapted for a variety of uses. Avery Newmark, ajc, 29 Mar. 2022 The short, scrawny boy was bullied, driving him to take up judo and sambo, a Soviet martial art that teaches participants to remain stoic even in the face of great pain. The Week Staff, The Week, 20 Mar. 2022 Putin, an avid practitioner of judo, was also suspended from his role as honorary president and ambassador of the martial art's world federation. NBC News, 1 Mar. 2022 See More
Terrence Mccoy, Washington Post, 8 Aug. 2022 Fighting back, Heidi works her way through a swathe of Nazi storm troopers via martial art moves and deft work with a Swiss army knife, then a battle axe. John Hopewell, Variety, 26 May 2022 Rahill, who had played high school ice hockey for four years and football for one, found the physicality of the martial art appealing. Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 3 June 2022 Heads are split open with an axe, and the makeup woman (Bérénice Bejo), for no good reason, turns out to be a master of the military martial art Krav Maga. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 17 May 2022 Her itineraries often include horseback riding along nearby beaches; lessons in capoeira, the Brazilian martial art; and private dinners at local restaurants. Devorah Lev-tov, Travel + Leisure, 9 Apr. 2022 Originally developed as an ancient Chinese martial art for self-defense, it has since been adapted for a variety of uses. Avery Newmark, ajc, 29 Mar. 2022 The short, scrawny boy was bullied, driving him to take up judo and sambo, a Soviet martial art that teaches participants to remain stoic even in the face of great pain. The Week Staff, The Week, 20 Mar. 2022 Putin, an avid practitioner of judo, was also suspended from his role as honorary president and ambassador of the martial art's world federation. NBC News, 1 Mar. 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
1904, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
martial art
noun
: any of several forms of combat and self-defense (as karate or judo) that are widely practiced as sports