selective service

American  

noun

1. compulsory military service.

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selective service British  

noun

1. (formerly) compulsory military service under which men were conscripted selectively

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Etymology

Origin of selective service

First recorded in 1919

Example Sentences

A vast majority of US states and territories also automatically register men for selective service when driver's licenses are issued.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

And when Jimmy Carter announced the return of the selective service in 1980, in response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Gil, still an underclassman, decided to take a stand: He refused to sign up.

From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026

I was sent to wait out the remainder of the day before being taken back to my local selective service board and returning home to Southern Maryland.

From Washington Post • Mar. 5, 2022

He said Den Hollander had been furious that he had not been involved in a federal selective service case that he filed with Angelucci.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 21, 2020

Faced with chronic opposition to the program and the exigencies of the cold war, the administration quietly shelved universal training and concentrated instead on the reestablishment of the selective service system.

From Integration of the Armed Forces, 1940-1965 by MacGregor, Morris J.