Martial Law

noun (compound noun; usually uncountable)

/ˈmɑːʃəl lɔː/

The imposition of direct military control over normal civil functions of government, typically in response to war or civil disorder — distinct from a constitutional emergency, and not explicitly defined in the Indian Constitution though mentioned in Article 34.

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

When a constitutional democracy resorts to martial law, it suspends the ordinary primacy of civilian authority, and the legitimacy of such a measure must be judged by its necessity, its proportionality and the speed with which normal constitutional governance is restored.

Synonyms

military rulemilitary governmentmilitary authoritystate of emergencymilitary dictatorshipjunta rule

Antonyms

civil lawcivilian rulecivil governmentconstitutional governance

🌱 Word Family

martial (adj), martially (adv), martial law (n compound), court-martial (n/v)

🔡 Root

Latin mārtiālis = of Mars, god of war; Old Norse lagu = law (via Middle English lawe)

📜 Etymology

From Middle English martial, from Latin mārtiālis ("of or pertaining to Mars, the Roman god of war") + Middle English lawe, from Old Norse lagu ("law").

🧠 Memory Hook

"Martial" shares its root with Mars, the Roman god of war: martial law is when the law of war (the military) marches in and takes over from the civilians.

⚖️ Polity & Constitution 📖 Seen in: Emergency Provisions — National, State...

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