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conscript Definition

con·script (kən skript′; for adj. & n. kän′skript′)

transitive verb

  1. to enroll for compulsory service in the armed forces; draft
  2. to force (labor, capital, etc.) into service for the government

Etymology: < conscriptthe

adjective

conscripted

Etymology: L conscriptus, pp. of conscribere, to enroll < com-, with + scribere, to write

noun

a conscripted person; draftee

conscript Related Forms

con·scrip′·tion noun

conscript Synonyms

conscript

n.

recruit, draftee, inductee, infantryman; see recruit, soldier.

conscript Synonyms

conscript

v.

draft, enroll, induct, call up; see enlist 1, recruit 1.

conscript Usage Examples

Object

  • soldier: A nation with the highest number of forcibly conscripted child soldiers in the world.
  • man: The House of Commons endorses the government's decision to conscript men of twenty for military service.
  • child: Once, we debated another school over the issue of conscripting children into armies.
  • army: This tactic wreaked huge casualties on the Central Powers, but tore out the heart of the largely conscript French army.
  • people: These problems will be resolved by individuals illuminating the subject through academic insight not by conscripting people to conferences.

Preposition: into

  • army: Aged 16 he was a french lad conscripted into the german army by virtue of his German mother.
  • force: The young boys were captured and conscripted into the rebel forces and have known only war, shooting and killing since then.

Adjective modifier

  • Russian: He is a Russian conscript who was shot in the chin during the battle in Grozny.
  • Iraqi: Did anyone give a damn for the Iraqi poor conscripts our troops slaughtered and buried by bulldozers in mass graves?
  • young: Almost all the other ranks were young conscripts from various parts of the North Riding of Yorkshire.
  • new: Even then new conscripts would be very unlikely to be posted to a combat zone.
  • French: The last intake of French conscripts completed their military service at the end of 2001.
  • teenage: The Russian army is full of underfed teenage conscripts.

Modifies a noun

  • army: In 1914 all the armies of the European powers were conscript armies, all subject to a draft of varying degrees of severity.
  • soldier: Several hundred thousand Iraqis, mainly young conscript soldiers were killed in the Gulf War of 1991.
  • troop: However, most EU states have too many immobile conscript troops and too few elite forces.
  • force: The idea of large conscript forces for territorial defense is out the window really.

Modifying Another Word

forcibly: A nation with the highest number of forcibly conscripted child soldiers in the world.

Noun used with modifier

army: It was very dark and the platform was full of army conscripts.

Infinitive complement

fight: Some were jailed for refusing to be conscripted to fight.