conscription

C3O1N1S1C3R1I1P3T1I1O1N1
/kənˈskɹɪpʃən/

noun

Involuntary labor, especially military service, demanded by some established authority.

Similar
draftmusterselective service
OriginMiddle French conscription ← Latin cōnscriptiō →
Less commonScrabble 18
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Meanings

nounconscription (countable and uncountable, plural conscriptions)

plural conscriptions

  1. countableuncountableInvoluntary labor, especially military service, demanded by some established authority.

    Synonyms: draft

  2. countableuncountableAn enrolling or registering.

    conscription of men of war

    1679–1715, Gilbert Burnet, “(please specify the page)”, in The History of the Reformation of the Church of England., London: […] T[homas] H[odgkin] for Richard Chiswell, […]

Synonyms & antonyms

nounInvoluntary labor, especially military service, demanded by some established authority.

Similar
draft

More synonyms by meaning

nouncompulsory military service

Similar
musterdraftselective service
Broader
mobilizationmobilisationmilitarization
Also see
draftmuster

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latincōnscriptiō“levying of troops”
  2. Middle Frenchconscription
  3. Englishconscription

From Middle French conscription, from Latin cōnscriptiō (“levying of troops”).

More words from Middle French, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans diensplig
  • dienspliginvoluntary labor, especially military service
Arabic تَجْنِيد إِجْبَارِيّ
  • تَجْنِيد إِجْبَارِيّ (tajnīd ʔijbāriyy)involuntary labor, especially military service
Bulgarian вое́нна пови́нност
  • вое́нна пови́нност (voénna povínnost)involuntary labor, especially military service
Catalan servei militar obligatori, reclutament forçós
  • servei militar obligatoriinvoluntary labor, especially military service
  • reclutament forçósinvoluntary labor, especially military service
  • conscripcióinvoluntary labor, especially military service
Chinese Mandarin 徵兵 /征兵
  • 徵兵 /征兵 (zhēngbīng)involuntary labor, especially military service
Czech odvod, branná povinnost
  • odvodinvoluntary labor, especially military service
  • branná povinnostinvoluntary labor, especially military service
Danish værnepligt
  • værnepligtinvoluntary labor, especially military service
Dutch dienstplicht
  • dienstplichtinvoluntary labor, especially military service
Estonian ajateenistus
  • ajateenistusinvoluntary labor, especially military service
Finnish asevelvollisuus, asepalvelus
  • asevelvollisuusinvoluntary labor, especially military service
  • asepalvelusinvoluntary labor, especially military service
French conscription, service militaire obligatoire
  • conscriptioninvoluntary labor, especially military service
  • service militaire obligatoireinvoluntary labor, especially military service
German Wehrpflicht, Konskription
  • Wehrpflichtinvoluntary labor, especially military service
  • Konskriptioninvoluntary labor, especially military service
Greek στρατολόγηση
  • στρατολόγηση (stratológisi)involuntary labor, especially military service
Hebrew גיוס
  • גיוס (giyús)involuntary labor, especially military service
Hindi अनिवार्य सैन्य सेवा
  • अनिवार्य सैन्य सेवा (anivārya sainya sevā)involuntary labor, especially military service
Hungarian sorozás
  • sorozásinvoluntary labor, especially military service
Icelandic herkvaðning
  • herkvaðninginvoluntary labor, especially military service
Indonesian wajib militer
  • wajib militerinvoluntary labor, especially military service
Italian coscrizione, arruolamento
  • coscrizioneinvoluntary labor, especially military service
  • arruolamentoinvoluntary labor, especially military service
  • servizio militare obbligatorioinvoluntary labor, especially military service
Japanese 徴兵
  • 徴兵 (chōhei)involuntary labor, especially military service
Korean 징병
  • 징병 (jingbyeong)involuntary labor, especially military service
Lithuanian karinė prievolė
  • karinė prievolėinvoluntary labor, especially military service
Māori māperetanga
  • māperetangainvoluntary labor, especially military service
Norwegian Bokmål verneplikt
  • vernepliktinvoluntary labor, especially military service
Polish pobór, asenterunek
  • pobórinvoluntary labor, especially military service
  • asenterunekinvoluntary labor, especially military service
  • brankainvoluntary labor, especially military service
Portuguese serviço militar obrigatório, conscrição
  • serviço militar obrigatórioinvoluntary labor, especially military service
  • conscriçãoinvoluntary labor, especially military service
Russian во́инская пови́нность, во́инская обя́занность
  • во́инская пови́нность (vóinskaja povínnostʹ)involuntary labor, especially military service
  • во́инская обя́занность (vóinskaja objázannostʹ)involuntary labor, especially military service
  • призы́в (prizýv)involuntary labor, especially military service
Slovak branná povinnosť, odvod
  • branná povinnosťinvoluntary labor, especially military service
  • odvodinvoluntary labor, especially military service
Spanish servicio militar obligatorio, reclutamiento obligatorio
  • servicio militar obligatorioinvoluntary labor, especially military service
  • reclutamiento obligatorioinvoluntary labor, especially military service
  • reclutamiento forzosoinvoluntary labor, especially military service
  • conscripcióninvoluntary labor, especially military service
Swedish värnplikt, utskrivning
  • värnpliktinvoluntary labor, especially military service
  • utskrivninginvoluntary labor, especially military service
Turkish celp
  • celpinvoluntary labor, especially military service
Ukrainian військо́вий обо́в'язок, військо́ва пови́нність
  • військо́вий обо́в'язок (vijsʹkóvyj obóvʺjazok)involuntary labor, especially military service
  • військо́ва пови́нність (vijsʹkóva povýnnistʹ)involuntary labor, especially military service
  • при́зов (prýzov)involuntary labor, especially military service
Cite this entry
APA

conscription. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/conscription

MLA

“conscription.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/conscription. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “conscription,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/conscription.

Source: conscription on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.