conscript

1 of 3

noun

con·​script ˈkän-ˌskript How to pronounce conscript (audio)
Synonyms of conscript
: a conscripted person (such as a military recruit)

conscript

2 of 3

adjective

con·​script ˈkän-ˌskript How to pronounce conscript (audio)
1
: enrolled into service by compulsion : drafted
2
: made up of conscripted persons

conscript

3 of 3

verb

con·​script kən-ˈskript How to pronounce conscript (audio)
conscripted; conscripting; conscripts

transitive verb

: to enroll into service by compulsion : draft
was conscripted into the army

Synonyms of conscript

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Noun

Verb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Mobilisation proceeded calmly, even if the mood of the assembling conscripts was more one of quiet resolve than passionate enthusiasm. — Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2026 At the same time, Sobyanin, who is widely seen as a pragmatist, has rebuffed calls by Russian hawks for a broad mobilization of conscripts and putting the entire economy on a war footing. — ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026
Adjective
Denmark runs a conscription lottery for healthy 18-year-olds, though its conscript quota is traditionally filled almost entirely by volunteers. — Max Grinstein, The Washington Examiner, 3 Aug. 2026 Taipei’s conscript system, like South Korea’s, is under pressure, with social contract cracks and skills matrices not always matching operational need. — Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
Many interviewees told me that elite parents no longer want their sons to spend over a decade conscripted in the army or build careers entirely inside the party. — Jieun Baek, Foreign Affairs, 30 Oct. 2026 Parties that likely would support Eisenkot have vowed to improve Israel's international standing and work to conscript ultra-Orthodox men while bolstering the independence of the judiciary. — Arkansas Online, 28 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for conscript

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

1804, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1813, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of conscript was in 1799

Rhymes for conscript

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Browse Nearby Words

conscribe
conscript
conscription
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Cite this Entry

“Conscript.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conscript. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Kids Definition

conscript

1 of 3 adjective
con·​script ˈkän-ˌskript How to pronounce conscript (audio)
1
: enrolled into service by force
2
: made up of conscripted persons

conscript

2 of 3 verb
con·​script kən-ˈskript How to pronounce conscript (audio)
: 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 How to pronounce conscript (audio)
: a conscripted person (as a military recruit)
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