conscientious objection

noun

: objection on moral or religious grounds (as to service in the armed forces or to bearing arms)

Examples of conscientious objection in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Rabin objected to the philosopher’s persistent call for conscientious objection to military service in the occupied territories. Moti Mizrahi, JSTOR Daily, 18 Oct. 2023 As such, hospitals have legal obligations and have set up contingency and staffing plans to prevent violating those doctors' federal conscientious objection protections. Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 26 Mar. 2024 Listen to this article Reproductive rights advocates are eyeing a change in state law that would no longer allow medical providers to deny a patient reproductive health care based on a religious or conscientious objection. Jenna Carlesso, Hartford Courant, 29 Feb. 2024 So, the real question is when does someone’s conscientious objection from a shared, civic or regulatory duty adversely affect the rest of us? Clint Bolick, National Review, 3 Dec. 2023 See all Example Sentences for conscientious objection 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'conscientious objection.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1775, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of conscientious objection was in 1775

Dictionary Entries Near conscientious objection

Cite this Entry

“Conscientious objection.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conscientious%20objection. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Legal Definition

conscientious objection

noun
con·​scien·​tious objection
ˌkän-chē-ˈen-chəs-
: objection on moral or religious grounds (as to military service or bearing arms)
conscientious objector noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!