conscription
Americannoun
-
compulsory enrollment of persons for military or naval service; draft.
-
a compulsory contribution of money to a government during a time of war.
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of conscription
First recorded in 1350–1400 for earlier sense “piece of writing”; 1795–1805 for current senses; Middle English conscripcioun, from Latin conscrīptiōn-, stem of conscrīptiō “composition, written record, levy of troops,” equivalent to conscript + -ion
Explanation
When a military needs people to fight in a war, but there aren’t enough volunteers, sometimes they'll begin conscription, which is a law that says if you are able to fight, you have to fight. Also called the draft, conscription legally requires people to join the army, with penalties if they don’t. During the Vietnam War, many U.S. citizens protested conscription by burning their draft documents or fleeing to Canada, and some faced prison time because of these actions. The Latin roots of conscription translate to “write down together,” which is a much nicer way of saying “Go to war or go to jail.”
Vocabulary lists containing conscription
The American Civil War
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Liberty, Equality, Vocabulary: The French Revolution
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World War I
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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.
"We interviewed young adults who have left their families behind" to escape conscription, she said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 9, 2026
The generation that wrote and ratified the Constitution had direct experience with compulsory service, but it looked nothing like modern conscription.
From Slate ● Apr. 15, 2026
Participants were included only if their weight had been measured at least three times, such as during early pregnancy, military conscription, or participation in research studies.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 11, 2026
The law that came into force in January brings back conscription in principle, though it will be implemented only if not enough people sign up for the army voluntarily.
From BBC ● Apr. 8, 2026
It was several days before I perceived that most of these “girls” were young men in hiding from the forced-labor conscription, which had grown more ruthless than ever.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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.
