conscript
Americannoun
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
conscriptsimple
-
conscriptssimple
-
have conscriptedperfect
-
has conscriptedperfect
-
am conscriptingprogressive
-
are conscriptingprogressive
-
is conscriptingprogressive
-
have been conscriptingperfect progressive
-
has been conscriptingperfect progressive
Past
-
conscriptedsimple
-
had conscriptedperfect
-
was conscriptingprogressive
-
were conscriptingprogressive
-
had been conscriptingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of conscript
First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin conscrīptus “enrolled,” past participle of conscrībere “to enroll, enlist”; see conscribe ( def. )
Explanation
If you’re ever drafted into the army, then you could be called a conscript, someone who is forced to join the military. At the root of conscript is the Latin word conscriptus, meaning “enroll.” Conscript does involve enrollment — but it’s a forced enrollment, used to describe someone who has been forced to join the military, such as someone who has been drafted. As a verb, conscript means "force to join," like a military that conscripts new soldiers. In contrast, those who choose to join are recruited; when they enter the service, they enlist.
Vocabulary lists containing conscript
The American Civil War
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Ender's Game
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
This Week in Words: January 27 - February 2, 2018
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Trudging through snow, a young Finnish conscript carefully draws a thin blue wire between two pine trees.
From Barron's ● Feb. 6, 2026
The legislation, which was watered down from its original draft, will make it easier to identify every conscript in the country.
From Seattle Times ● May 18, 2024
Another conscript was Hussain, from Ohn Taw Gyi camp, which is also near Sittwe.
From BBC ● Apr. 7, 2024
He had not handled a gun since he was a teenage conscript in Hitler’s Wehrmacht at the end of World War II.
From New York Times ● Dec. 27, 2023
“I told him you are my brother. He said he will make sure nobody comes here to conscript you.”
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Around 800 people are in the first batch of conscripts.
From BBC ● Mar. 9, 2026
That number almost certainly includes conscripts the military has begun forcibly recruiting to bolster its ranks.
From Barron's ● Dec. 23, 2025
Both reluctant conscripts and regime loyalists were no longer prepared to fight and die for a corrupt and cruel regime that repaid them with poverty and oppression.
From BBC ● Dec. 8, 2025
Here, the Russian conscripts are either mean but brave or they just have rotten luck.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 20, 2025
Aegon Dragonlord had perhaps a fifth that number, the chroniclers said, and most of those were conscripts from the ranks of the last king he had slain, their loyalties uncertain.
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
But as we round the first corner, almost all of the exhibits are the work of amateurs, conscripted from civilian life and professionalized into name, rank and number.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
A full-size replica of a Spanish galleon stares out into Manila Bay, the centrepiece of a museum that will transport visitors back to the 17th century, when conscripted Philippine mariners hastened the era of globalisation.
From Barron's ● Apr. 28, 2026
The foreign ministry estimates that 252 Kenyans have been illegally conscripted to fight on the front line - a trend that began about six months ago and has also involved recruits from other African countries.
From BBC ● Mar. 22, 2026
It’s a more straightforward presentation that keeps audience members in their seats, except for a moment when uprising is in the air and a few theatergoers are conscripted to join the ecstatic rebellion.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 20, 2026
To protect Khouy from being conscripted into the army and Laine from being abducted by soldiers, they are married quickly in a quiet, secret ceremony with both sets of parents giving their blessings.
From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung
Temporary arrangements to continue it were formally ended by the court last year, forcing the government to begin conscripting the community.
From BBC ● Feb. 16, 2026
On November 19, Israel's Supreme Court ruled that the government was required to present an effective proposal for conscripting the ultra-Orthodox.
From Barron's ● Nov. 29, 2025
Ukrainian leaders have vowed to repel such an assault, conscripting reservists and training volunteers who could take up arms in the event that Russian troops advance deep into Ukraine.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 23, 2022
After conscripting a friend who was legally allowed to kill alligators, Capps faced his nemesis and won.
From Slate ● Nov. 3, 2020
“If it has come to this, that you are conscripting somebody my age, then Biafra has died,” the elderly man said quietly.
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
