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Showing results for selective service. Search instead for take+the+service.
Synonyms

selective service

American  

noun

  1. compulsory military service.


selective service British  

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of selective service

First recorded in 1919

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.

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

In addition to strength, stamina and ergonomic shoes, a job with the postal service requires a clean record, two years of safe driving, and a selective service registration.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 24, 2022

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

By 1972, fewer than 30,000 men were being drafted per year, and selective service was suspended in 1973.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2016

April 28—Congress passes selective service act for raising of army of 500,000; Guatemala severs diplomatic relations with Germany.

From America's War for Humanity by Russell, Thomas Herbert

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