conscript

1 of 3

noun

con·​script ˈkän-ˌskript How to pronounce conscript (audio)
: a conscripted person (such as a military recruit)

conscript

2 of 3

adjective

con·​script ˈkän-ˌskript How to pronounce conscript (audio)
1
: enrolled into service by compulsion : drafted
2
: made up of conscripted persons

conscript

3 of 3

verb

con·​script kən-ˈskript How to pronounce conscript (audio)
conscripted; conscripting; conscripts

transitive verb

: to enroll into service by compulsion : draft
was conscripted into the army

Examples of conscript in a Sentence

Noun as the war continued, the body of enlisted soldiers was supplemented by an increasing number of conscripts Verb The government is conscripting men for the army. He was conscripted into the army.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Although by law conscripts (as opposed to volunteers, contract soldiers, and those who have been specifically mobilized) cannot end up in a war zone, not everyone now believe that the military maintains this restriction. Andrei Kolesnikov, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2024 Many of these military conscripts, and in particular the ones who are being prepared to go into battle or fly fighter planes, often need glasses or other corrective means for their myopia to fulfill those functions, causing concern for national security. Gary Stix, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2024
Adjective
Russia has reserves of conscript soldiers it is prohibited by its policies from deploying into Ukraine, but could on Russian soil. Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 9 Aug. 2024 The Bolshevik leader Leon Trotsky’s talent as a military organizer gradually turned the ragtag collection of volunteer Red militias into a regular conscript army, and by the fall of 1920, the Whites were thoroughly defeated and dislodged from most Russian territory. Anna Reid, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
Verb
After graduating from theater school, Reuss was conscripted into the Austro-Hungarian Army and sent to fight in the First World War. Tomas Weber, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Oct. 2024 However, in 1942 he was conscripted into the German military and badly injured on the Russian front in 1945. Oren Hartov, Robb Report, 17 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for conscript 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'conscript.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

alteration of French conscrit, from Latin conscriptus, past participle of conscribere to enroll, enlist, from com- + scribere to write — more at scribe

First Known Use

Noun

1799, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1812, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1813, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of conscript was in 1799

Dictionary Entries Near conscript

Cite this Entry

“Conscript.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conscript. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

conscript

1 of 3 adjective
con·​script ˈkän-ˌskript How to pronounce conscript (audio)
1
: enrolled into service by force
2
: made up of conscripted persons

conscript

2 of 3 verb
con·​script kən-ˈskript How to pronounce conscript (audio)
: to enroll into service by force : draft
was conscripted into the army
conscription
kən-ˈskrip-shən
noun

conscript

3 of 3 noun
con·​script ˈkän-ˌskript How to pronounce conscript (audio)
: a conscripted person (as a military recruit)

More from Merriam-Webster on conscript

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