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

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

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

He said he voted against including women in the draft and said he thinks selective service as a whole is outdated, but it was not worth sinking the entire bill over.

From Washington Times

It said some overhauls will arrive earlier than scheduled, including the removal of selective service and drug conviction requirements for federal aid eligibility.

From Washington Post

Older Americans remember one of the country’s previous uses of lotteries as public policy, selective service, to choose which young people would kill and die in Vietnam.

From Los Angeles Times