What does "martian" mean?
A person under the astrological influence of the planet Mars.
Martian
/ˈmɑːʃən/ adj, name, noun
adj, name, noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A person under the astrological influence of the planet Mars.
- Grammar: martian is listed as adj, name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: alien, astronaut, extraterrestrial, extraterrestrial from mars.
- Useful contrasts: Earth inhabitant, Earth life form, Earth resident.
- Usage evidence: Until now, no one has ever seen a Martian.
How to use "martian"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "martian" 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 "martian" 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 "martian" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "martian" 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 "martian" is acting as adj, name, noun 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 "alien" 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 "martian", 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 person under the astrological influence of the planet Mars.
"[T]he majority of human beings born under the influence of Mars—the Martians (or "Martials")—are heavily built but physically strong. [...] A male Martian is generally a great favorite with the ladies and is apt to be rather quick and unscrupulous in his courtship methods. He is not a sentimental lover. A bad Martian is a loud, fatiguing talker and a braggard."
- 2 Alternative form of Martian packet. alt-of, alternative
- 3 imaginary people who live on the planet Mars wordnet
- 4 An inhabitant of the planet Mars.
"Thus she [one of the moons of Mars] has a disc, always on this assumption be it remembered, equal to about a quarter of our moon's; and being illuminated by the sun, like the other moon, with a light varying from one-half to one-third that which he pours on the earth, it follows that the light she reflects to Martians, or would reflect to them if there were any such beings, varies from one-eighth to one-twelfth of that which we receive from the full moon."
- 5 An inhabitant of the planet Mars.; A male Martian. rare, specifically
"Coordinate term: Martianess"
Adjective
- 1 Of or relating to the planet Mars, or (science fiction) its imagined inhabitants. not-comparable
"The direct heat of the sun, shining through so thin an atmosphere, must be considerable wherever the sun is at a sufficient elevation; and of course the very tenuity of the air renders vaporization so much the easier, for the boiling point (and consequently all temperatures of evaporation at given rates) would be correspondingly lowered. Accordingly, during the greater part of the Martian day, the hoar frost and whatever light snow might have fallen on the preceding evening would be completely dissolved away, and thus the ruddy earth or the greenish ice-masses of the so-called oceans would be revealed to the terrestral observer."
- 2 Alternative letter-case form of Martian (“of or pertaining to the planet Mars”). alt-of, nonstandard
- 3 Pertaining to the astrological influence of the planet Mars; aggressive, bellicose. not-comparable
"[T]he majority of human beings born under the influence of Mars—the Martians (or "Martials")—are heavily built but physically strong. [...] [T]hey are easily angered, and, for the time being, forget everything in the excess of their violence. The worst Martian type will commit murder before he knows it."
- 4 Pertaining to battle or war; martial, military. not-comparable, obsolete
"The iudges vvhich thereto ſelected vvere, / Into the Martian field adovvne deſcended, / To deeme this doutfull caſe, for vvhich they all contended."
- 5 Pertaining to the Roman god Mars, the god of war. not-comparable
"Near-synonym: Arean"
Adjective
- 1 of or relating to the planet Mars (or its fictional inhabitants) wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A hypothetical language spoken on Mars.
"Although impressed by [Catherine Elise] Muller as a person, [Théodore] Flournoy regarded her experiences as a marvel of psychology rather than spiritualism. One of his key findings was that, while Muller's Martian had a consistent 23 letter alphabet, grammar and syntax, it was in fact a twisted variant of French."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Until now, no one has ever seen a Martian."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "martian"?
Common synonyms include: alien, astronaut, extraterrestrial, extraterrestrial from mars, marciano, mars dweller.
How do you use "martian" in a sentence?
Until now, no one has ever seen a Martian.
How do you pronounce "martian"?
Pronounced /ˈmɑːʃən/.
Etymology
From Latin Mārtius (“of or relating to the planet Mars”) + -an (adjective-forming suffix). The word is cognate with Middle English marcien, marcyan, mercien (“subject to the influence or power of the planet Mars; relating to the god Mars, that is, warlike”), Middle French martien (“Martian”) (modern French martien), French Martien (“imaginary inhabitant of Mars; any extraterrestrial”), Italian marziano, Latin Mārtiānus (“Martian”), Portuguese marciano, Spanish marciano.