conscript

1 of 3

noun

con·​script ˈkän-ˌskript 

: a conscripted person (such as a military recruit)

conscript

2 of 3

adjective

con·​script ˈkän-ˌskript 

1

: enrolled into service by compulsion : drafted

2

: made up of conscripted persons

conscript

3 of 3

verb

con·​script kən-ˈskript 

conscripted; conscripting; conscripts

transitive verb

: to enroll into service by compulsion : draft

was conscripted into the army

Synonyms

Noun

• draftee
• inductee
• selectee

Verb

• conscribe
• draft
• levy

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

Having earmarked record amounts of government expenditure on the military, Putin's commitment to expanding his armed forces was signaled by Tuesday's announcement of the Russia's highest number of conscripts since 2011—160,000. —Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025

Putin on Monday ordered a regular biannual call-up intended to draft 160,000 conscripts for a one-year tour of compulsory military service. —The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 1 Apr. 2025

Adjective

How can the government collect taxes, for instance, or conscript soldiers or enforce the law, if people do not have last names? —Nikil Saval, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025

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

Verb

The squad gave the soldiers the chance to join the resistance, but only a few among them did, mainly Czechs and Poles who had been conscripted by the Nazis. —Malcolm Hillgartner Tanya Pérez Lance Neal, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025

Copenhagen's current policy maintains that women can join the armed forces on a voluntary basis but will not be conscripted. —Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025

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

Rhymes for conscript

• decrypt
• descript
• encrypt
• equipped
• outstripped
• postscript
• rescript
• subscript
• transcript
• transhipped
• transshipped
• typescript

Kids Definition

conscript

1 of 3 adjective

con·​script ˈkän-ˌskript 

1

: enrolled into service by force

2

: made up of conscripted persons

conscript

2 of 3 verb

con·​script kən-ˈskript 

: 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 

: a conscripted person (as a military recruit)