martial law
noun
1
: the law applied in occupied territory by the military authority of the occupying power
2
: the law administered by military forces that is invoked by a government in an emergency when the civilian law enforcement agencies are unable to maintain public order and safety
Examples of martial law in a Sentence
The government has imposed martial law throughout the city to stop the riots.
an area placed under martial law
Recent Examples on the Web
Kim was Yoon's labour minister when the former president declared martial law on December 3.
—
Hyunsu Yim, USA Today, 4 June 2025
Yoon even cited Lee’s Democratic Party and its undermining of the government’s budget bill as a reason for declaring martial law.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 3 June 2025
The snap election caps a six-month stretch of intense political instability and paralysis in South Korea, after former president Yoon Suk Yeol briefly declared martial law in December, a move that led to his removal from office and a criminal indictment.
—J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 3 June 2025
In an emergency parliamentary session in December, when an opposition lawmaker demanded that Yoon's Cabinet members apologize to the nation over the martial law declaration, Kim was the only one who refused to stand up and bow down.
—Se Eun Gong, NPR, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for martial law
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Hyunsu Yim, USA Today, 4 June 2025
Yoon even cited Lee’s Democratic Party and its undermining of the government’s budget bill as a reason for declaring martial law.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 3 June 2025
The snap election caps a six-month stretch of intense political instability and paralysis in South Korea, after former president Yoon Suk Yeol briefly declared martial law in December, a move that led to his removal from office and a criminal indictment.
—J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 3 June 2025
In an emergency parliamentary session in December, when an opposition lawmaker demanded that Yoon's Cabinet members apologize to the nation over the martial law declaration, Kim was the only one who refused to stand up and bow down.
—Se Eun Gong, NPR, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for martial law
Cite this Entry
“Martial law.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/martial%20law. Accessed 8 Jun. 2025.
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