1
2
a
: the act or an instance of drinking or inhaling
a last draft on her cigarette
also
: the portion drunk or inhaled in one such act
b
: a portion poured out or mixed for drinking : dose
3
mechanical engineering
a
: the force required to pull a plow or other implement
b
: load or load-pulling capacity
the draft of a typical draft horse
4
a
: the act of moving loads by drawing or pulling : pull
b
: a team of animals together with what they draw
5
a
: delineation, representation
a draft for a future skyscraper
c
: a preliminary sketch, outline, or version
the author's first draft
a draft treaty
6
: the act, result, or plan of lengthening or stretching something (such as threads or metal)
7
b
: a portion of liquid so drawn
a draft of ale
c
: draft (see draft entry 2 sense 2) beer
a glass of draft
8
nautical
: the depth of water a ship draws (see draw entry 1 sense transitive 6) especially when loaded
9
a(1)
: a system for or act of selecting individuals from a group (as for compulsory military service)
debating whether or not to institute a draft
(2)
: an act or process of selecting an individual (as for political candidacy) without the individual's expressed consent
b
: a group of individuals selected especially by military draft
c
sports
: a system whereby exclusive rights to selected new players are apportioned among professional teams
He was chosen in the first round of the draft.
10
a
: an order for the payment of money drawn (see draw entry 1 sense 7c) by one person or bank on another
b
: the act or an instance of drawing from or making demands upon something : demand
11
a
: a current of air in a closed-in space
felt a draft
b
: a device for regulating the flow of air (as in a fireplace)
open the draft
12
: angle, taper
specifically, industrial engineering
: the taper (see taper entry 2 sense 2b) given to a pattern or die (see die entry 2 sense 3) so that the work can be easily withdrawn
13
: a pocket of reduced air pressure behind a moving object
also, racing sports
: the use of such a draft to save energy
1
animal husbandry
: used or adapted for drawing loads
draft horses
2
: being or having been ready to be drawn from a receptacle : being or having been on draft
drinking draft beer
drafted; drafting; drafts
1
: to select for some purpose: such as
a
: to conscript for military service
was drafted and sent overseas
b
sports
: to select (a professional athlete) by draft
got drafted by the Yankees
2
3
: to draw off or away
water drafted by pumps
4
racing sports
: to stay close behind (another racer) so as to take advantage of the reduced air pressure created by the leading racer
1
: to practice draftsmanship
2
racing sports
: to draft another racer (as in car or bike racing)
Synonyms
Examples of draft in a Sentence
Noun
The published poem differs quite a bit from earlier drafts.
You may want to seal the windows with plastic to stop drafts.
Verb
The two countries are drafting a treaty.
The drama club drafted three teenagers to be in the parade.
The legislature debated drafting more soldiers.
The new rule prohibits teams from drafting players under 18.
See More
Recent Examples on the Web
WIRED, 18 Sep. 2023
But with free agency and the expansion draft around the corner, the organization is looking to develop a bottom-up culture, in many ways representing the origins of Cousins’ Reading FC teams.
—Sven Karabegovic, The Salt Lake Tribune, 18 Sep. 2023
With respect to the draft NPR-A rule, that was put out as well as the decision to cancel the leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, again, both of those measures have their own independent authorities as well as rationale.
—Riley Rogerson, Anchorage Daily News, 17 Sep. 2023
Despite the losses, both quarterbacks did some good things in their NFL debuts after Stroud was taken second overall in this year’s draft and Richardson was selected two picks later.
—Mark Heim | Mheim@al.com, al, 17 Sep. 2023
This summer, the FDA published draft guidance for researchers designing clinical trials for psychedelic drugs.
—CBS News, 16 Sep. 2023
The intense crackdown that followed has largely stifled the protest movement, with new detentions and draft laws being discussed in anticipation of the anniversary.
—Yuliya Talmazan, NBC News, 16 Sep. 2023
The proposed law, first reported by Bloomberg, was first released in a draft of revisions from the Standing Committee of China’s legislature.
—Bradford Betz, Fox News, 6 Sep. 2023
That led to him being selected by the Browns in the third round of the 2016 NFL draft.
—Steve Gardner, USA TODAY, 6 Sep. 2023
Charlie Goldsmith, The Enquirer, 12 July 2023
Tune did a pre-draft workout with the Cowboys.
—Joseph Hoyt, Dallas News, 13 Apr. 2023
Jake Chisholm Chisholm, who was a standout running back at Ryle High School before a collegiate career at the University of Dayton, will participate in the Cincinnati Bengals local pre-draft workout later this month.
—Shelby Dermer, The Enquirer, 6 Apr. 2023
At 6-foot-2 and turning 23 before the next NBA season gets underway, Sasser will have size and age working against him throughout the pre-draft process.
—Josh Criswell, Chron, 25 Mar. 2023
Even without the knee injury, Hooker has other questions to answer in the pre-draft process.
—The Indianapolis Star, 6 Mar. 2023
At the time, the COVID-19 pandemic had already wiped out his best chance at finding a professional basketball job in the U.S., his pre-draft workouts and summer plans completely altered when his college career ended on a Sunday and the world stopped March 11, 2020, three days later.
—Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2022
Former Auburn player Jabari Smith Jr. talks with members of the media after his pre-draft workout with the Orlando Magic.
—Khobi Price, Orlando Sentinel, 18 June 2022
Although my pre-draft plan was to build a balanced roster, Ohtani was certainly worth grabbing at a discount.
—Steve Gardner, USA TODAY, 9 Mar. 2023
Gwozniac, oregonlive, 8 Sep. 2023
The law may owe more to model legislation drafted by the group National Right to Life Committee, as the legal historian and University of California law professor Mary Ziegler has written, which suggests giving the attorney general this power.
—Melissa Gira Grant, The New Republic, 7 Sep. 2023
More:Ranking quarterbacks drafted by the Indianapolis Colts Andrew Luck
Sept. 9, 2012: 23-of-45 for 309 yards, 1 touchdown and 3 interceptions in a 41-21 loss to the Chicago Bears
Luck was also sacked 3 times and lost a fumble.
—Scott Horner, The Indianapolis Star, 7 Sep. 2023
The Jets’ Sauce Gardner, drafted fourth overall in 2022, is the ideal model for Gonzalez.
—Nicole Yang, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Sep. 2023
In addition to Denzel Ward, the Browns drafted Dawand Jones and Luke Wypler, and safety Ronnie Hickman made the team as an undrafted free agent.
—Tim Bielik, cleveland, 7 Sep. 2023
But O'Donnell and Abbott are the two UVA players the Reds have taken of the 14 Cavs drafted in the past three years.
—Dave Clark, The Enquirer, 7 Sep. 2023
The front office decided to invest in its offense by improving its offensive line by drafting Darnell Wright with the 10th overall pick and giving Fields weapons, such as trading for receiver DJ Moore.
—Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY, 7 Sep. 2023
Both Charlotte natives, Ayesha and Stephen have called Oakland, California their home since the NBA star was drafted by the Warriors in 2009.
—Natasha Dye, Peoplemag, 6 Sep. 2023
See More
Noun
The draft also lays out options for better managing reuse and refill schemes, while still promoting higher recycling rates.
—WIRED, 18 Sep. 2023
But with free agency and the expansion draft around the corner, the organization is looking to develop a bottom-up culture, in many ways representing the origins of Cousins’ Reading FC teams.
—Sven Karabegovic, The Salt Lake Tribune, 18 Sep. 2023
With respect to the draft NPR-A rule, that was put out as well as the decision to cancel the leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, again, both of those measures have their own independent authorities as well as rationale.
—Riley Rogerson, Anchorage Daily News, 17 Sep. 2023
Despite the losses, both quarterbacks did some good things in their NFL debuts after Stroud was taken second overall in this year’s draft and Richardson was selected two picks later.
—Mark Heim | Mheim@al.com, al, 17 Sep. 2023
This summer, the FDA published draft guidance for researchers designing clinical trials for psychedelic drugs.
—CBS News, 16 Sep. 2023
The intense crackdown that followed has largely stifled the protest movement, with new detentions and draft laws being discussed in anticipation of the anniversary.
—Yuliya Talmazan, NBC News, 16 Sep. 2023
The proposed law, first reported by Bloomberg, was first released in a draft of revisions from the Standing Committee of China’s legislature.
—Bradford Betz, Fox News, 6 Sep. 2023
That led to him being selected by the Browns in the third round of the 2016 NFL draft.
—Steve Gardner, USA TODAY, 6 Sep. 2023
Adjective
First round:Cincinnati Reds draft Wake Forest pitcher Rhett Lowder in first round of 2023 MLB Draft
The Reds’ draft picks who sign with the team will report to Goodyear, Arizona, for post-draft camp before reporting to minor league affiliate teams.
—Charlie Goldsmith, The Enquirer, 12 July 2023
Tune did a pre-draft workout with the Cowboys.
—Joseph Hoyt, Dallas News, 13 Apr. 2023
Jake Chisholm Chisholm, who was a standout running back at Ryle High School before a collegiate career at the University of Dayton, will participate in the Cincinnati Bengals local pre-draft workout later this month.
—Shelby Dermer, The Enquirer, 6 Apr. 2023
At 6-foot-2 and turning 23 before the next NBA season gets underway, Sasser will have size and age working against him throughout the pre-draft process.
—Josh Criswell, Chron, 25 Mar. 2023
Even without the knee injury, Hooker has other questions to answer in the pre-draft process.
—The Indianapolis Star, 6 Mar. 2023
At the time, the COVID-19 pandemic had already wiped out his best chance at finding a professional basketball job in the U.S., his pre-draft workouts and summer plans completely altered when his college career ended on a Sunday and the world stopped March 11, 2020, three days later.
—Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2022
Former Auburn player Jabari Smith Jr. talks with members of the media after his pre-draft workout with the Orlando Magic.
—Khobi Price, Orlando Sentinel, 18 June 2022
Although my pre-draft plan was to build a balanced roster, Ohtani was certainly worth grabbing at a discount.
—Steve Gardner, USA TODAY, 9 Mar. 2023
Verb
The Forest Service, in conjunction with the other agencies, drafted the Bull Run Fire Management Plan, which prioritizes protecting the drinking water source.
—Gwozniac, oregonlive, 8 Sep. 2023
The law may owe more to model legislation drafted by the group National Right to Life Committee, as the legal historian and University of California law professor Mary Ziegler has written, which suggests giving the attorney general this power.
—Melissa Gira Grant, The New Republic, 7 Sep. 2023
More:Ranking quarterbacks drafted by the Indianapolis Colts Andrew Luck
Sept. 9, 2012: 23-of-45 for 309 yards, 1 touchdown and 3 interceptions in a 41-21 loss to the Chicago Bears
Luck was also sacked 3 times and lost a fumble.
—Scott Horner, The Indianapolis Star, 7 Sep. 2023
The Jets’ Sauce Gardner, drafted fourth overall in 2022, is the ideal model for Gonzalez.
—Nicole Yang, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Sep. 2023
In addition to Denzel Ward, the Browns drafted Dawand Jones and Luke Wypler, and safety Ronnie Hickman made the team as an undrafted free agent.
—Tim Bielik, cleveland, 7 Sep. 2023
But O'Donnell and Abbott are the two UVA players the Reds have taken of the 14 Cavs drafted in the past three years.
—Dave Clark, The Enquirer, 7 Sep. 2023
The front office decided to invest in its offense by improving its offensive line by drafting Darnell Wright with the 10th overall pick and giving Fields weapons, such as trading for receiver DJ Moore.
—Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY, 7 Sep. 2023
Both Charlotte natives, Ayesha and Stephen have called Oakland, California their home since the NBA star was drafted by the Warriors in 2009.
—Natasha Dye, Peoplemag, 6 Sep. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'draft.' 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, Adjective, and Verb
Middle English draght; akin to Old English dragan to draw — more at draw
First Known Use
Noun
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Adjective
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
1714, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of draft was
in the 13th century
Phrases Containing draft
Dictionary Entries Near draft
Cite this Entry
“Draft.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/draft. Accessed 24 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
draft
1 of 3 noun
ˈdraft 
ˈdrȧft
1
a
: the act of pulling or hauling
b
: the thing or amount pulled
2
: the act or an instance of drinking or inhaling
also
: the portion drunk or inhaled at one time
3
4
a
: the act of drawing out liquid (as from a barrel)
b
: a portion of liquid drawn out
5
: the depth of water required for a ship to float when loaded
6
: a picking of persons for required military service
7
: an order (as a check) issued by one party to another (as a bank) to pay money to a third party
8
a
: a current of air
b
: a device to regulate an air supply (as in a stove)
draft
2 of 3 adjective1
: used for pulling loads
draft animals
2
: being a version to be finished later
a draft treaty
3
: being or having been on draft
draft beer
draft
3 of 3 verb1
: to pick especially for required military service
2
a
: to make a draft of : outline
draft a plan
b
: to put into written form
draft an essay
drafter
noun
Medical Definition
draft
noun
variants
or chiefly British draught
1
: a portion (as of medicine) poured out or mixed for drinking : dose
2
: a current of air in a closed-in space
Legal Definition
draft
1 of 2 noun1
: a preliminary version of something (as a law)
2
a
: a system for or act of selecting individuals from a group (as for military service)
b
: the act or process of selecting an individual (as for political candidacy) without his or her expressed consent
3
: an order for the payment of money drawn by one person or bank on another see also drawee, drawer compare check
—
documentary draft
: a draft that will be honored only upon the presentation of certain documents (as an invoice or certificate of title)
—
sight draft
: a draft payable on presentation
—
time draft
: a draft payable a specified number of days after the date of the draft or of its presentation
draft
2 of 2 transitive verb1
: to select for some purpose
specifically
: to conscript for military service
2
: to compose or prepare especially the preliminary version of
drafting legislation
: to practice draftsmanship
drafter
noun
More from Merriam-Webster on draft
Nglish: Translation of draft for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of draft for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about draft
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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