special court-martial: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Low (specialized/legal/military context)Formal, legal, military
Quick answer
What does “special court-martial” mean?
A military court for trying members of the armed forces accused of violating military law.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A military court for trying members of the armed forces accused of violating military law.
The legal proceeding itself; also used as a verb meaning to try someone by court-martial.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The concept and procedure are nearly identical in both US and UK armed forces, though specific charges and sentencing may vary by national military code.
Connotations
Carries serious weight in military culture; implies breach of military discipline rather than civilian law.
Frequency
Equally low frequency in both varieties, confined to military/legal contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “special court-martial” in a Sentence
[SUBJECT: military authority] convened a court-martial for [OBJECT: accused soldier][SUBJECT: officer] was court-martialled for [OBJECT: offence]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “special court-martial” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The commander decided to court-martial the lieutenant for dereliction of duty.
- If you strike a superior officer, you will be court-martialled.
American English
- The private was court-martialed for going AWOL last month.
- They threatened to court-martial anyone found leaking the documents.
adjective
British English
- The court-martial procedure is outlined in the Armed Forces Act.
- He sought advice from a court-martial defence lawyer.
American English
- She studied the court-martial manual extensively.
- The court-martial jurisdiction was clear in this case.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not applicable
Academic
Used in papers on military law, ethics, or history.
Everyday
Very rare; mostly in news reports about military scandals.
Technical
Core term in military justice systems with specific types (general, special, summary).
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “special court-martial”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “special court-martial”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “special court-martial”
- Writing as one word ('courtmartial')
- Incorrect plural ('court-martials' for the traditional plural is now acceptable, but purists may use 'courts-martial')
- Using as a general term for any military trial.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is primarily a noun, but it is also commonly used as a verb (e.g., 'to court-martial someone').
A general court-martial is for the most serious offences and can impose severe penalties including life imprisonment. A special court-martial is for intermediate-level offences with more limited sentencing power.
Typically no, court-martial jurisdiction is usually limited to members of the armed forces, though historically in some jurisdictions it could apply to civilians in certain wartime circumstances.
Both 'courts-martial' (traditional) and 'court-martials' (modern) are accepted, though the traditional form is often preferred in formal legal writing.
A military court for trying members of the armed forces accused of violating military law.
Special court-martial is usually formal, legal, military in register.
Special court-martial: in British English it is pronounced /ˌkɔːt ˈmɑː.ʃəl/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌkɔːrt ˈmɑːr.ʃəl/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Drummed out of the corps (result of a severe court-martial)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: COURT (for trial) + MARTIAL (relating to war/military). A military court.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE MILITARY IS A SEPARATE SOCIETY (with its own laws and courts).
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary function of a court-martial?