SINCE 1828
draft
noun
\ ˈdraft
, ˈdräft\
, ˈdräft\
Definition of draft
(Entry 1 of 3)
2a
: 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
4a
: the act of moving loads by drawing or pulling : pull
b
: a team of animals together with what they draw
5a
: 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)
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
9a(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.
10a
: 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
11a
: 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taper (see taper entry 2 sense 2b) given to a pattern or die (see die entry 2 sense 3) so that the work can be easily withdrawn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
on draft
: ready to be drawn from a receptacle
beer on draft
draft
adjectiveDefinition of draft (Entry 2 of 3)
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
draft
verb
drafted;
drafting;
drafts
Definition of draft (Entry 3 of 3)
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
2a
: to draw the preliminary sketch, version, or plan of
draft legislation
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)
Keep scrolling for more
Other Words from draft
Verb
draftable
\ ˈdraf-tə-bəl
, ˈdräf- \
adjective
, ˈdräf- \
adjective
draftee
\ ˌdraf-ˈtē
, ˌdräf- \
noun
, ˌdräf- \
noun
drafter
\ ˈdraf-tər
, ˈdräf- \
noun
, ˈdräf- \
noun
Synonyms for draft
Synonyms: Noun
burden, cargo, freight, haul, lading, load, loading, payload, weight
Synonyms: Verb
Visit the Thesaurus for More
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.
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
The draft is currently being circulated inside the agency for comments before being finalized. — Heidi Vogt, WSJ, "EPA’s Top Leaders Stymied Research Unit, Report Finds," 14 Feb. 2019 The three worst teams in the league will have a 14 percent chance of getting the first pick in the draft and a shot at grabbing Duke center Zion Williamson. — Steve Herrick, The Seattle Times, "Cavs send Knicks to franchise-record 17th straight loss," 12 Feb. 2019 The partners start an in-depth outlining process together in-person, then individually write alternating chapters and upload their drafts in Dropbox to make sure their storylines align. — Rachel Epstein, Marie Claire, "Christina Lauren's 'My Favorite Half-Night Stand' Explores the Wild, Confusing Online Dating World," 24 Dec. 2018 To avoid feeling the draft — and cut down on your heating bill — follow these tips from the Good Housekeeping Institute. — The Good Housekeeping Institute, Good Housekeeping, "How to Draft-Proof Your Home for a Lower Heating Bill," 20 Nov. 2018 Under fierce lobbying from the airlines, lawmakers dropped this clause in the final draft. — Barbara Peterson, Condé Nast Traveler, "How the New FAA Bill Will Affect Air Travelers," 24 Sep. 2018 Happy hour runs from 4 to 7 p.m., with $5 beers on draft. — Pam Kragen, sandiegouniontribune.com, "San Diego Comic-Con 2018: Best places to grab a bite near this year's Con," 12 July 2018 The drafts and international signings haven’t been good enough. — Sam Mellinger, kansascity, "The State of the Royals, Part 1 of 2: How did they get here?," 12 July 2018 Curtin wouldn’t put a timetable on which of the upcoming NFL events — from Super Bowls in Miami, Tampa, Los Angeles, Arizona, and New Orleans to drafts in Nashville in April and Las Vegas next year to the international games — might be cashless. — Barry Wilner, The Seattle Times, "Cashless Super Bowl coming? Visa says yes," 29 Jan. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
First round: Navigating the green room As mentioned in previous articles, every player’s situation is different and draft day is no exception. — Matt Babcock, SI.com, "The Dreams and Nightmares of Every Agent on NBA Draft Night," 18 June 2018 Kleber had tried to catch the eye of an NBA team twice, withdrawing from draft consideration in 2012 and going undrafted in 2014. — Kevin Casas, star-telegram, "Tall tale of a friendship made in Germany and groomed with the Dallas Mavericks," 3 Mar. 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
So much so that he has been trusted to assist in drafting legislation that law enforcement must follow while investigating suspected criminals and when searching for missing persons. — Cyrus Farivar, Ars Technica, "Convicted tax fraudster sues CNBC for defamation, says he’s not a “hacker”," 19 Nov. 2018 Hicks had a hand in drafting a statement from Kelly, despite the fact that Hicks herself is allegedly romantically involved with Porter. — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, "19 Things You Should Know About Hope Hicks, Donald Trump's Former White House Communications Director," 11 July 2018 Jeff Denham, of Turlock, and David Valadao, of Hanford, were instrumental in drafting that legislation, which would also provide a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children, known as Dreamers. — Emily Cadei, sacbee, "'Don’t break the law,' McClintock says to families separated at the border," 20 June 2018 But in March, the internet regulator drafted new rules that would ban non-state sanctioned VPNs from being used. — Shannon Liao, The Verge, "2018 was the year Chinese internet users evaded censorship — briefly," 20 Dec. 2018 Davidson, a member of the Republican Party's Freedom Caucus, is also drafting proposed legislation to regulate cryptocurrencies and initial coin offerings. — Sean Gallagher, Ars Technica, "Ohio Congressman: We can fund border wall with “WallCoin”," 13 Dec. 2018 Privacy - Terms The Knicks drafted a point guard, Frank Ntilikina, in the first round in 2017, but Ntilikina might be better suited playing off the ball. — Rick Bonnell, charlotteobserver, "Why All-Star Kemba Walker’s New York ties should worry Charlotte Hornets," 13 July 2018 Wayne Fontes took over, and the next April, the Lions drafted Barry Sanders with the No. — Detroit Free Press Staff, Detroit Free Press, "Darryl Rogers' family: Ex-Detroit Lions, MSU coach died of natural causes," 12 July 2018 Now on his firm’s management committee, Mr Bick is drafting in artificial intelligence (AI) to do the gruntwork—like many others at top law firms in New York and London. — The Economist, "Law firms climb aboard the AI wagon," 12 July 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'draft.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Learn More about draft
From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
'Draft' vs. 'Draught'
'Draft' vs. 'Draught'
They're spelling variants but aren't exactly interchangeable.
Statistics for draft
Last Updated
18 Feb 2019
Look-up Popularity
Time Traveler for draft
The first known use of draft was in the 13th century
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for draft
draft
noun
English Language Learners Definition of draft
(Entry 1 of 3)
: a version of something (such as a document) that you make before you make the final version
: cool air moving in a closed space (such as a room)
: a system in which young people are required to join the armed forces of a country for a period of service
draft
adjectiveEnglish Language Learners Definition of draft (Entry 2 of 3)
of an animal
: used for pulling heavy loads
of beer
: stored in and poured from a large container
: not yet in the final form
draft
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of draft (Entry 3 of 3)
: to make a version of (something, such as a document or plan) that will need more work in order to be finished
: to choose (someone) for a special purpose
US
: to officially order (someone) to join the armed forces
See the full definition for draft in the English Language Learners Dictionary
draft
noun
\ ˈdraft
, ˈdräft\
, ˈdräft\
Kids Definition of draft
(Entry 1 of 3)
1
: a version of something written or drawn (as an essay, document, or plan) that has or will have more than one version
I finished the rough draft of my report.
2
: a current of air
3
: a device to regulate an air supply (as in a fireplace)
4
: the act of pulling or hauling : the thing or amount pulled
a beast of draft
5
: the act or an instance of drinking or inhaling : the portion drunk or inhaled at one time
He took a draft of his drink.
6
: the act of drawing out liquid (as from a cask) : a portion of liquid drawn out
a draft of beer
7
: the depth of water a ship needs in order to float
8
: the practice of ordering people into military service
9
: the practice of choosing someone to play on a professional sports team
10
: an order made by one person or organization to another to pay money to a third person or organization
draft
adjectiveKids Definition of draft (Entry 2 of 3)
1
: used for pulling loads
a draft animal
2
: not in final form
a draft report
3
: ready to be drawn from a container
draft beer
draft
verb
drafted;
drafting
Kids Definition of draft (Entry 3 of 3)
1
: to write or draw a version of something (as an essay or plan) that usually needs more work
2
: to choose someone to do something
Mom drafted us to clean the garage.
3
: to pick especially for required military service
draft
noun
variants:
or chiefly British draught \ ˈdraft, ˈdrȧft
\
\
Medical Definition of draft
1
: a portion (as of medicine) poured out or mixed for drinking : dose
2
: a current of air in a closed-in space
Other Words from draft
drafty
or chiefly British draughty \ ˈdraf-tē, ˈdrȧf-
\
adjective
\
adjective
Keep scrolling for more
draft
nounLegal Definition of draft
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: a preliminary version of something (as a law)
2a
: 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
transitive verbLegal Definition of draft (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: 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
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on draft
What made you want to look up draft? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
What did you just call me?! A Quiz
-
- If a member of the audience describes your speech as bombastic, does that person mean it is:
Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
Share draft
Resources for draft