1
2
a
: the act or an instance of drinking or inhaling
a last draft on her cigarette
also
: the portion drunk or inhaled in one such act
b
: a portion poured out or mixed for drinking : dose
3
mechanical engineering
a
: the force required to pull a plow or other implement
b
: load or load-pulling capacity
the draft of a typical draft horse
4
a
: the act of moving loads by drawing or pulling : pull
b
: a team of animals together with what they draw
5
a
: delineation, representation
a draft for a future skyscraper
c
: a preliminary sketch, outline, or version
the author's first draft
a draft treaty
6
: the act, result, or plan of lengthening or stretching something (such as threads or metal)
7
b
: a portion of liquid so drawn
a draft of ale
c
: draft (see draft entry 2 sense 2) beer
a glass of draft
8
nautical
: the depth of water a ship draws (see draw entry 1 sense transitive 6) especially when loaded
9
a(1)
: a system for or act of selecting individuals from a group (as for compulsory military service)
debating whether or not to institute a draft
(2)
: an act or process of selecting an individual (as for political candidacy) without the individual's expressed consent
b
: a group of individuals selected especially by military draft
c
sports
: a system whereby exclusive rights to selected new players are apportioned among professional teams
He was chosen in the first round of the draft.
10
a
: an order for the payment of money drawn (see draw entry 1 sense 7c) by one person or bank on another
b
: the act or an instance of drawing from or making demands upon something : demand
11
a
: a current of air in a closed-in space
felt a draft
b
: a device for regulating the flow of air (as in a fireplace)
open the draft
12
: angle, taper
specifically, industrial engineering
: the taper (see taper entry 2 sense 2b) given to a pattern or die (see die entry 2 sense 3) so that the work can be easily withdrawn
13
: a pocket of reduced air pressure behind a moving object
also, racing sports
: the use of such a draft to save energy
1
animal husbandry
: used or adapted for drawing loads
draft horses
2
: being or having been ready to be drawn from a receptacle : being or having been on draft
drinking draft beer
drafted; drafting; drafts
1
: to select for some purpose: such as
a
: to conscript for military service
was drafted and sent overseas
b
sports
: to select (a professional athlete) by draft
got drafted by the Yankees
2
3
: to draw off or away
water drafted by pumps
4
racing sports
: to stay close behind (another racer) so as to take advantage of the reduced air pressure created by the leading racer
1
: to practice draftsmanship
2
racing sports
: to draft another racer (as in car or bike racing)
Synonyms
Examples of draft in a Sentence
Noun
The published poem differs quite a bit from earlier drafts.
You may want to seal the windows with plastic to stop drafts.
Verb
The two countries are drafting a treaty.
The drama club drafted three teenagers to be in the parade.
The legislature debated drafting more soldiers.
The new rule prohibits teams from drafting players under 18.
Recent Examples on the Web
Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 9 Nov. 2024
The Saints went from a top contender to a top draft pick, and will now look to continue to make trades with hours until the trade deadline.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
Khobi Price, Orange County Register, 2 July 2024
The Kings did not suit up first-round draft choice Devin Carter, a guard who is dealing with a pre-draft shoulder injury.
—Joe Davidson, Sacramento Bee, 7 July 2024
Jake Pearson, ProPublica, 8 Nov. 2024
Boys in Michigan are drafted to fight boys in the Middle East.
—Peter D. Feaver, Foreign Affairs, 6 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for draft 
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
At 4-4, but with a Super Bowl window that the team believes is still wide open, the Niners made no major additions at the NFL trade deadline, adding only a depth defensive tackle (for a seventh-round draft pick two years from now).
—Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 9 Nov. 2024
The Saints went from a top contender to a top draft pick, and will now look to continue to make trades with hours until the trade deadline.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
Knecht was considered one of the steals of the draft after being projected to be selected in the top 10 by most major pre-draft prognosticators.
—Khobi Price, Orange County Register, 2 July 2024
The Kings did not suit up first-round draft choice Devin Carter, a guard who is dealing with a pre-draft shoulder injury.
—Joe Davidson, Sacramento Bee, 7 July 2024
Verb
The bill’s author, City Councilmember Crystal Hudson, drafted the measure in response to ProPublica’s reporting.
—Jake Pearson, ProPublica, 8 Nov. 2024
Boys in Michigan are drafted to fight boys in the Middle East.
—Peter D. Feaver, Foreign Affairs, 6 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for draft
Dictionary Entries Near draft
Cite this Entry
“Draft.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/draft. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
draft
1 of 3 noun
ˈdraft 
ˈdrȧft
1
a
: the act of pulling or hauling
b
: the thing or amount pulled
2
: the act or an instance of drinking or inhaling
also
: the portion drunk or inhaled at one time
3
4
a
: the act of drawing out liquid (as from a barrel)
b
: a portion of liquid drawn out
5
: the depth of water required for a ship to float when loaded
6
: a picking of persons for required military service
7
: an order (as a check) issued by one party to another (as a bank) to pay money to a third party
8
a
: a current of air
b
: a device to regulate an air supply (as in a stove)
draft
2 of 3 adjective1
: used for pulling loads
draft animals
2
: being a version to be finished later
a draft treaty
3
: being or having been on draft
draft beer
draft
3 of 3 verb1
: to pick especially for required military service
2
a
: to make a draft of : outline
draft a plan
b
: to put into written form
draft an essay
drafter
noun
Medical Definition
draft
noun
variants
or chiefly British draught
1
: a portion (as of medicine) poured out or mixed for drinking : dose
2
: a current of air in a closed-in space
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