selective service

American  

noun

1. compulsory military service.

---

selective service British  

noun

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

---

Etymology

Origin of selective service

First recorded in 1919

Example Sentences

By 1982, Selective Service Director Thomas Turnage reported that more than 500,000 young men had failed to register for the reinstated program.

From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026

In a 6-3 decision, the justices said a fired employee did not have a right to sue in federal court over his dismissal for failing to register for the Selective Service.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2025

Selective Service, writing that he would refuse to carry it and would decline to serve if he were drafted.

From New York Times • Feb. 7, 2023

He also voted against the Selective Service Act at a time when the German Army, fresh from a lightning conquest of Western Europe, had 4.5 million soldiers when the U.S.

From Salon • Jan. 7, 2023

When they turned eighteen, men had to register with the Selective Service System, the agency responsible for implementing a draft.

From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge