selective service

noun

: a system under which men are called up for military service : draft

Examples of selective service in a Sentence

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.
Norway and Finland are among the few countries with selective service systems that draft women as well as men, though Denmark recently joined them. — Joshua Keating, Vox, 18 June 2024 Later that year, Republican Richard Nixon won the White House, further escalated the U.S. involvement in Vietnam and started the selective service draft. — Nik Popli, TIME, 9 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1917, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of selective service was in 1917

Rhymes for selective service

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selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor
selective service
selective transmission
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Cite this Entry

“Selective service.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/selective%20service. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.

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