court martial
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A court convened as circumstances may require to try a person subject to military law. In Great Britain such courts were instituted in consequence of the Mutiny Act of 1690.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “court martial” mean?
A court convened as circumstances may require to try a person subject to military law. In Great Britain such courts were instituted in consequence of the Mutiny Act of 1690.
Is “court martial” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.