What does "march" mean?
A formal, rhythmic way of walking, used especially by soldiers, by bands, and in ceremonies.
March
/mɑɹt͡ʃ/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A formal, rhythmic way of walking, used especially by soldiers, by bands, and in ceremonies.
- Grammar: march is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: mar, abut, abut, accord.
- Useful contrasts: amble, capers, cease.
- Usage evidence: I hope you will join us in the parade and march along the street.
How to use "march"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "march" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "march" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "march" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "march" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "march" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "mar" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "march", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A formal, rhythmic way of walking, used especially by soldiers, by bands, and in ceremonies.
- 2 A border region, especially one originally set up to defend a boundary. archaic, historical, often, plural
"Juan's companion was a Romagnole, / But bred within the March of old Ancona[…]."
- 3 Smallage. obsolete
- 4 a steady advance wordnet
- 5 A journey so walked.
Show 11 more definitions
- 6 A region at a frontier governed by a marquess. historical
- 7 the act of marching; walking with regular steps (especially in a procession of some kind) wordnet
- 8 A political rally or parade.
"Mr. Nelson covered the Selma-to-Montgomery freedom marches, including Bloody Sunday, on March 7, 1965, when 600 marchers were attacked with billy clubs and tear gas."
- 9 a degree granted for the successful completion of advanced study of architecture wordnet
- 10 Any song in the genre of music written for marching (see Wikipedia's article on this type of music)
- 11 genre of music written for marching wordnet
- 12 Steady forward movement or progression.
"the march of time"
- 13 a procession of people walking together wordnet
- 14 The feat of taking all the tricks of a hand.
- 15 district consisting of the area on either side of a border or boundary of a country or an area wordnet
- 16 the month following February and preceding April wordnet
Verb
- 1 To walk with long, regular strides, as a soldier does. intransitive
"The column marching in double file, the instructor commands: […]"
- 2 To have common borders or frontiers intransitive
- 3 lie adjacent to another or share a boundary wordnet
- 4 To cause someone to walk somewhere. transitive
"The old man heaved himself from the chair, seized Jessamy by her pinafore frill and marched her to the house."
- 5 walk fast, with regular or measured steps; walk with a stride wordnet
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 To go to war; to make military advances.
"The armies drawing constantly nearer to each other, the king advised with his council, whether he should march against the Britons, or sall upon the count of Gharolois."
- 7 walk ostentatiously wordnet
- 8 To make steady progress. figuratively
"Some say history repeats itself, that time is cyclical. Others cling to the notion of progress and change over time. Apparently Nancy Walker marches to a different drummer — marches backwards, that is. Her ideas on art and society seem quaint and odd on the one hand and, on the other, petty and regressive."
- 9 march in a procession wordnet
- 10 force to march wordnet
- 11 cause to march or go at a marching pace wordnet
- 12 march in protest; take part in a demonstration wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 The third month of the Gregorian calendar, following February and preceding April, containing the northward equinox. uncountable, usually
"Holonyms: calendar year; year"
- 2 A surname from Middle English for someone born in March, or for someone living near a boundary (marche). uncountable, usually
- 3 A male given name from English. uncommon, uncountable, usually
"“Kendall told me about a man named March Flack. A radio actor who disappeared years ago. I assumed that was here.”"
- 4 A locality in the Cabonne council area, central New South Wales, Australia. uncountable, usually
- 5 A market town and civil parish with a town council in Fenland district, Cambridgeshire, England (OS grid ref TL4196). uncountable, usually
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 A municipality near Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. uncountable, usually
- 7 An unincorporated community in Marshall County, Minnesota, United States. uncountable, usually
- 8 An unincorporated community in Dallas County, Missouri, United States, named after the month. uncountable, usually
Example
"I hope you will join us in the parade and march along the street."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "march"?
Common synonyms include: mar, abut, abut, accord, adjoin, adjoin.
How do you use "march" in a sentence?
I hope you will join us in the parade and march along the street.
How do you pronounce "march"?
Pronounced /mɑɹt͡ʃ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English marchen, from Middle French marcher (“to march, walk”), from Old French marchier (“to stride, to march, to trample”), from Frankish *markōn (“to mark, mark out, to press with the foot”), from Proto-Germanic *markōną (“to mark”). Akin to Old English mearc, ġemearc (“mark, boundary”). Compare mark, from Old English mearcian.
Etymology 2
From Middle English marche (“tract of land along a country's border”), from Old French marche (“boundary, frontier”), from Frankish *marku, from Proto-Germanic *markō, from Proto-Indo-European *mórǵs (“edge, boundary”).
Etymology 3
From Middle English merche, from Old English merċe, mereċe, from Proto-West Germanic *marik, from Proto-Indo-European *móri (“sea”). Cognate Middle Low German merk, Old High German merc, Old Norse merki (“celery”). Compare also obsolete or regional more (“carrot or parsnip”), from Proto-Indo-European *mork- (“edible herb, tuber”).
Etymology 4
From Middle English March, Marche, borrowed from Anglo-Norman marche, from Old French marz, from Latin mensis Mārtius (“the Martian month”), from earlier Mavors.