national servicenoun [ U ]
uk/ˌnæʃ.ən.əl ˈsɜː.vɪs/us/ˌnæʃ.ən.əl ˈsɝː.vɪs/the system in some countries by which young people, especially men, are ordered by law to spend a period of time in the armed forces:
In some countries, everyone does two years' national service after leaving school.
In Britain, national service was abolished in 1962.
Compare
selective service
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Military training & ceremonies
- assault course
- attention
- civil defence
- drill
- ease
- fall
- fall in
- fatigue
- garrison
- manoeuvre
- pass
- pass out
- passing-out
- recon
- reconnaissance
- review
- route march
- salute
- take the salute idiom
- troop
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