Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Court-martial \Court`-mar"tial\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Court-martialed (-shald); p. pr. & vb. n. Court-martialing.] To subject to trial by a court-martial.
Court-martial \Court`-mar"tial\ (k?rt`m?r"shal), n.; pl. Courts-martial (k?rts`-). A court consisting of military or naval officers, for the trial of one belonging to the army or navy, or of offenses against military or naval law.
Wiktionary
n. 1 (context legal military English) A military court of law. 2 (context legal military English) A trial before such a tribunal. vb. To subject to trial in a military court.
WordNet
n. a military court to try serious breaches of martial law
a trial by court martial
v. subject to trial by court-martial
[also: court-martialling, court-martialled]
Wikipedia
A court-martial (plural courts-martial, as "martial" is postpositive) is a military court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the armed forces subject to military law, and, if the defendant is found guilty, to decide upon punishment. In addition, courts-martial may be used to try prisoners of war for war crimes. The Geneva Convention requires that POWs who are on trial for war crimes be subject to the same procedures as would be the holding military's own forces.
Most navies have a standard court-martial which convenes whenever a ship is lost; this does not presume that the captain is suspected of wrongdoing, but merely that the circumstances surrounding the loss of the ship be made part of the official record. Most military forces maintain a judicial system that tries defendants for breaches of military discipline. Some countries like France and Germany have no courts-martial in time of peace and use civilian courts instead.
Usage examples of "court-martial".
The President directs that the sentences of all deserters who have been condemned by court-martial to death, and that have not been otherwise acted upon by him, be mitigated to imprisonment during the war at the Dry Tortugas, Florida, where they will be sent under suitable guards by orders from army commanders.
Had he not fallen into disfavor, been court-martialed, and condemned to being a regimental whore, he would probably have run the place and it would have had no chance of defeat.
As Eastlake stood and walked out of the court, the members of the court-martial board followed him with their eyes.
I will have any German officer court-martialed who fails to defend himself.
No one, not even Major Hinton, was entirely sure what fate the General planned for Starbuck, but Lieutenant Davies was certain Faulconer wanted a court-martial.
It has seemed impossible to a man who is not a Frenchman, and who is, therefore, tremendously excited over the case, to avoid discussion of the Jabberwocky of the Rennes court-martial as it is reported in America and England.
Pursuant with the general orders issued from headquarters, the court-martial, consisting of thirteen officers, convened at Tacubaya, for the trial of Traverse Rocke, private in the--Regiment of Infantry, accused of sleeping on his post.
Even though the Army does not care about your background, breeding, or social standing for purposes of promotions, assignments, or career advancement, they do care about that when they court-martial you.
Army rarely convenes a court-martial unless they know the accused is guilty.
The naval districts handled administrative matters within their territories: the pursuit and apprehension of deserters, trials and court-martials, formal and informal JAG investigations, the appointment and support of CACOs, administration of transient barracks and brigs, and the general personnel and administrative infrastructure support for all the Navy commands located within the district.
Lieutenantthere was never a court-martial among the Roughnecks and no man was ever flogged.
The court-martial convened under Priest-Militant Asperamanka was easily satisfied.
We will have to take a different direction and be quick, for once these bandoleros have arrived at the post, it will be only two hours before they are court-martialed, and after two hours more they will be shot," the alcalde explained.
He had carried cappabar too high by far--the thing was flagrant--and Jack could bring him before a court-martial and have him broke tomorrow.
From service gossip and the proceedings of the court-martial that acquitted Chads and the surviving officers of the Java they knew far more about the battle with the Constitution than did Stephen, but there were gaps in their knowledge and they plied him with questions: had the Americans used bar-shot?