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taper (see taper entry 2 sense 2b) given to a pattern or die (see die entry 2 sense 3) so that the work can be easily withdrawn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
Brodzinski, a fifth round draft pick by Los Angeles in 2013 and a Group 6 free agent, has spent the last four seasons in the Kings organization. — Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, "Red Wings draft pick gets second chance with Sharks," 2 July 2019 Granted, Soderstrom plays a much more valuable position, but Crouse was also picked 11th overall in a loaded 2015 draft. — Richard Morin, azcentral, "More than a bruiser: Coyotes see tremendous potential in Lawson Crouse after new contract," 2 July 2019 Harkless was originally on the move to Miami with Leonard but was redirected to the Clippers, who took back a draft pick for taking on Harkless’ contract. — Andrew Greif, latimes.com, "Clippers acquire Maurice Harkless, first-round pick in Jimmy Butler deal," 1 July 2019 Department staff and stakeholders are in the process of preparing a draft of the grouse plan, the first in state history. — Paul A. Smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Ruffed grouse plan is likely to include a shorter hunting season," 29 June 2019 The Whiskey House in the Gaslamp Quarter celebrates our nation’s birth with $4 drafts of Kronenbourg (European pale lager) and $1 shots of house whiskey. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "The Dish: 34 places you can eat, drink and hang out this Independence Day," 27 June 2019 The original drafts of JPMorgan and Capital One’s plans exposed them to being too undercapitalized in a worse-case scenario. — Washington Post, "Banks announce billions in share buybacks after Fed approval," 27 June 2019 Our youngest brother @rsjmiller is writing first draft of screenplay. — Sean Hollister, The Verge, "The Myst TV series is dead; long live the Myst TV series," 26 June 2019 But with or without a draft, ROTC belongs on college campuses, lest our universities become removed from reality in a way that exacerbates the negatives of the ivory tower mystique. — Jeff Rice, Twin Cities, "Jeff Rice: I damaged the ROTC offices at Northwestern University. Here’s how — and why — I atone," 24 June 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
Plans for expansion of the shelter have already been drafted and will be enacted as funding allows. — Rich Heileman, cleveland.com, "Berea ARF to break ground for new shelter: Around The Town," 5 July 2019 The same goes for Jarred Vanderbilt, another Summer League forward, whom the Nuggets drafted in the second round and then rehabbed for much of last season. — Mike Singer, The Denver Post, "The Michael Porter Jr. show is canceled, but Nuggets still have plenty at stake at Summer League," 5 July 2019 But before anyone in Texas can plant a hemp seed, much less harvest a crop, state and federal rules must be drafted and approved, which could take a year or more. — John Maccormack, ExpressNews.com, "Hemp rush begins on West Texas farms," 29 June 2019 Just imagine how different things could’ve been if Cal had drafted Kobe and stayed with the Nets, and Pitino chose to remain the Kentucky coach. — Dominique Yates, The Courier-Journal, "A lot's gone on in local sports. Here's Dominique Yates' top 10 stories (right now)," 28 June 2019 In recent years, Europe has taken the lead in drafting and enforcing regulations that have reined in the world’s big, mostly American, tech giants, on fronts as varied as anticompetition, privacy and taxes. — Sam Schechner, WSJ, "AI, Surveillance Tools Scrutinized by European Regulators," 26 June 2019 Experts say drafting and implementing regulations could take years. — The Washington Post, The Mercury News, "CBD is still illegal in the US. So why is it everywhere?," 24 June 2019 Experts say drafting and implementing regulations could take years. — Laura Reiley, Washington Post, "CBD-infused food and beverages are still illegal under U.S. law. So why are they everywhere?," 24 June 2019 Twenty-three Japanese media outlets attended the NBA Draft, and prior to being drafted, Hachimura signed an endorsement deal with Nissin, the Japanese company behind Cup Noodles. — Matthew De Silva, Quartz, "The half-Japanese, half-Beninese Rui Hachimura is the future of basketball," 21 June 2019These 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
8 Jul 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
Farm Idioms Quiz
-
- What does 'poke' refer to in the expression 'pig in a poke'?
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 QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
-
Farm Idioms Quiz
Not your children's farm quiz.
Take the quiz -
Up in the Sky: A Quiz
It's a bird? It's a plane? No, I'm really asking. What is it?
Take the quiz -
True or False?
Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.
Take the quiz -
Dictionary Devil
The dictionary has been scrambled—can you put it back together?
Play the game
Share draft
Resources for draft