What does "martini" mean?
A cocktail made with gin or vodka and vermouth.
Martini
/mɑɹˈtini/ name, noun
name, noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A cocktail made with gin or vodka and vermouth.
- Grammar: martini is listed as name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: cocktail, drink, gin cocktail, mixed drink.
- Useful contrasts: nonalcoholic beverage, water.
- Usage evidence: "What would you like to drink?" "A dry martini."
How to use "martini"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "martini" 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 "martini" 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 "martini" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "martini" 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 "martini" is acting as 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 "cocktail" 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 "martini", 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 cocktail made with gin or vodka and vermouth. countable, uncountable
"Will you join us at six o’clock for martinis?"
- 2 A breech mechanism for a rifle. obsolete
- 3 Alternative letter-case form of martini (a cocktail made with gin or vodka and vermouth). alt-of, countable, uncountable
"Only the priest and Major Hugh Edwards, a blind Englishman, drank Martini or something cheaper in the hot hours after noon and before the clumping sabots announced the working day’s end."
- 4 a cocktail made of gin (or vodka) with dry vermouth wordnet
- 5 Any cocktail served in a cocktail glass, often sweet or fruity and aimed at women. countable, proscribed, sometimes, uncountable
"I love the chocolate martinis at Trendy Bar!"
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 A type of rifle using similar features.
"Now the butt of a Martini in the small of your back hurts a great deal"
- 7 A brand of Italian vermouth available in several versions, from the Martini & Rossi company. countable, uncountable
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname from Italian.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
nonalcoholic beveragewater
Example
""What would you like to drink?" "A dry martini.""
Common questions
What is a synonym for "martini"?
Common synonyms include: cocktail, drink, gin cocktail, mixed drink.
How do you use "martini" in a sentence?
"What would you like to drink?" "A dry martini."
How do you pronounce "martini"?
Pronounced /mɑɹˈtini/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
See Martini.
Etymology 2
Named after Hungarian-born Swiss inventor Frédéric de Martini (1832–1897).
Etymology 3
Martini is an Italian name, and in the sense of vermouth is used by the Italian company Martini & Rossi. In the sense “cocktail with vermouth and either gin or vodka”, coined in America in the 19th or 20th century, for which various theories exist – perhaps named for the Italian brand of vermouth, perhaps after Martinez, California, perhaps after an Italian bartender of that name.