impressment

Definition of impressmentnext

Example Sentences

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Recent Examples of impressment In several other seemingly unrelated grievances – like the king’s use of the royal veto, impressment, and the collapse of the judiciary – minority groups shaped the declaration. Robert Parkinson, The Conversation, 24 June 2026 The Advertiser was edited by Samuel Adams for artisans and laborers fired up by their successful resistance to impressment—the Navy’s effort to grab men for forced service—and concerned about rising poverty in the postwar depression. Time, 7 July 2025 The United States declared war on Great Britain after more incidents of naval impressment, trade restrictions, and the British attack of the Chesapeake. Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 14 Nov. 2024 The crew was a combustible mix of regular sailors, marines and impressed crewmen — impressment being a kind of slavery wherein men were kidnapped and forced to serve for an indefinite period. Mary Ann Gwinn, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2023 These distinctive tattoos were then recorded in their personal Seamen’s Protection Certificates, which were used as identification and to help stave off impressment. Jennifer Nalewicki, Smithsonian, 28 Feb. 2017 In fact, by the late summer of 1812, the British had eliminated the orders in council, leaving impressment as the only unresolved issue of any consequence. Foreign Affairs, 31 Oct. 2012
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impressment
Noun
  • In May, Klee revealed that Simon had been diagnosed with cancer, after spending a few days in the ICU for seizures.
    Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 22 July 2026
  • The possible seizure of their house hangs over them like a sword of Damocles.
    Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 July 2026
Noun
  • People in northwest Nigeria are caught between regular attacks by bandit groups who specialize in kidnapping for ransom and Islamist militants who have been expanding their territory.
    ABC News, ABC News, 19 July 2026
  • Helen is the queen of Sparta whose kidnapping by the Trojans ignited the Trojan War in the first place.
    Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 18 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Impressment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impressment. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

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