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Glite Dictionary
Section Eight

Section Eight

1 9.9
A US Army discharge given for mental illness or bad behaviour
  • noun
  • /ˈsɛkʃən eɪt/
  • Slur
translation icon : [Término ofensivo para una baja del Ejército de EE. UU. por inestabilidad o problemas mentales]
  • He was given a Section Eight discharge after his evaluation.

Examples

  • Many veterans struggle after receiving a Section Eight discharge.

  • Applying for a Section Eight was considered a way to leave the military involuntarily.

  • He received a Section Eight after repeated evidence of psychological issues.

  • Some veterans faced stigma after being given a Section Eight during their service.

  • After struggling with his mental health, he applied for a Section Eight discharge from the Army.

  • Many veterans who face mental challenges seek a Section Eight to obtain the help they need.

  • Receiving a Section Eight discharge often means a soldier was considered unfit for service.

Synonyms

to discharge
vsSection Eight
  • Formal
100 4.4

Officially release someone from a duty, job, or responsibility

is a specific military release for mental unfitness or undesirable character

Surface Forms

Section Eight singular
Sections Eight plural

Morphology

section + eight

This is an administrative label naming a specific military discharge code, so the meaning (‘discharge for mental unfitness or undesirable character’) is not derivable from the literal parts 'section' (a part) and 'eight' (the number). The relation is arbitrary and culturally specific (a fixed label/idiom), so learners who know the constituents would not predict the intended meaning.

Etymology

The noun Section Eight may come from old army forms. One popular story says an army form had a part called Section 8 that listed reasons to send a soldier home for 'mental unfitness'. So being given a Section Eight came to mean that kind of discharge or a person who was sent home for that reason.