Home › Words › M › martialismmartialismmartialism · noun — the quality of being warlike; exercises suitable for war.Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).EtymologyFrom martial + -ism.nounThe quality of being warlike; exercises suitable for war.e.g.“You, a poet, will understand when I say that the same relationship which exists between bourgeois art and art exists between militarism and martialism.” — 1971, Paul van Ostaijen, Patriotism, Inc., and Other Tales, page 121:A spiritual philosophy associated with some martial arts that involves finding one's inner balance, transcending physical combat, and the ability to become one with the opponent.e.g.“Interactive confusion and misunderstanding often result from failure to distinguish the different aspects of Zen and martialism as they actually operate in various mixtures.” — 2005, Thomas Cleary, The Japanese Art of War: Understanding the Culture of Strategy, page 125:Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).