impressment
impressment Lexical Profile
impressment Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The act or practice of forcing individuals into military or naval service without prior notice, practiced notably by the British Royal Navy in the 18th and early 19th centuries.
"The widespread impressment of American merchant sailors on the high seas was a primary grievance leading to the War of 1812."
The seizure or confiscation of private property, supplies, or transport by a government for public or military use.
"Local farmers protested the government's impressment of their horses and grain wagons during the prolonged campaign."
• Rhymes for impressment
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in the late 16th century from the verb 'impress' and the suffix '-ment'. In the naval sense, 'impress' evolved as an alteration of 'imprest' (from Old French 'prest', meaning a loan or advance pay given to recruits), which became popularly associated with the idea of pressing men into service by force.