Selective Service
3
5.8
- noun
- /sɪˈlɛktɪv ˈsɜrvɪs/
- Formal
:
Servicio Selectivo
- The Selective Service System was organized after the passage of the Act establishing it on 18 May 1917.
- Selective Service Act
- Selective Service system
Examples
-
After thorough consideration, Congress passed and the president signed the Selective Service Act.
Academic text (1991) -
Not yet a citizen, he was regarded by most Allied recruiting missions as a potential volunteer, though under the Selective Service Act he was subject to the draft.
Academic text (1991) -
I'm told we had a special call from Selective Service headquarters... asking us not to waste any of your valuable time.
-
The Selective Service Act of 1917 drafted over 2.8 million people into the military.
Blog text (32) -
Some of us served in the armed forces, being subject to the Selective Service System even though we were not permitted to enlist in the "regular" forces.
Academic text (1995) -
Men aged 18 to 25 are required to register for Selective Service in the United States.
-
He completed his Selective Service registration before turning 18 to avoid penalties.
-
The government announced a program to inform young men about their Selective Service obligations.
Synonyms
2
7.6
A United States government agency that registers people for required military service
1
5.4
A US government agency that registers men for possible military service
A system that by law makes people join the military when chosen by the government
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is partly compositional: 'selective' (choosing specific people) combined with 'service' (military service) reasonably suggests a system for selecting people for military service. However, the specific institutional sense — a U.S. registration and administration system for compulsory service (including the male-targeted registration rule) — is not fully predictable from the words alone, so learners may not infer the administrative/registration aspect without prior exposure.
Etymology
Selective Service comes from the idea that officials select people for service, meaning 'military duty'. So today Selective Service is the government system that registers men and may call them to join the armed forces.