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conscientious objector

noun

: a person who refuses to serve in the armed forces or bear arms on moral or religious grounds

Examples of conscientious objector in a Sentence

He registered as a conscientious objector.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The number of applications for conscientious objector status has shot up since the start of the war in Ukraine, particularly as talk of resuming conscription has intensified. Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 23 Nov. 2025 But, in 1944, when the field of medical ethics was still developing, Ancel Keys, a physiologist at the University of Minnesota, recruited thirty-six male conscientious objectors to voluntarily starve themselves. Clayton Dalton, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2025 Even a conscientious objector cannot disentangle themselves completely from a society that worships partnership. Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 2 June 2025 Bloomsbury included pacifists, conscientious objectors, soldiers, and agents of empire. Jenny Noyce, JSTOR Daily, 14 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for conscientious objector

Word History

First Known Use

1916, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of conscientious objector was in 1916

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Cite this Entry

“Conscientious objector.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conscientious%20objector. Accessed 29 Nov. 2025.

Kids Definition

conscientious objector

noun
: a person who refuses to serve in the armed forces or to bear arms because of his or her moral or religious beliefs

More from Merriam-Webster on conscientious objector

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