Meaning & use
conchie
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Meaning
nouncountableinformaldisapprovingBritishold-fashioned
A slang, often insulting word for a conscientious objector, a person who refuses military service because of moral or religious beliefs.
Grammar: Countable: one conchie, many conchies. Also spelled conchy.
Patterns
- label someone a conchie
In 1916 many people shouted conchie at men who refused to enlist, though some objectors served as stretcher bearers.
The history book explains that a conchie could face prison for refusing the call-up.
Neighbors called him a conchie because he would not carry a weapon.
Word forms
| plural | conchies |
|---|
Common combinations
- called a conchie
- He was called a conchie by his own brother.
- branded a conchie
- Anyone who declined to fight was branded a conchie.
- treated as a conchie
- He was treated as a conchie even though he served in the ambulance corps.
- conchie tribunal
- His case was heard at a conchie tribunal in the town hall.
Synonyms and how they differ
- conscientious objector
- It is the neutral, official term and carries no insult, whereas conchie is slang and usually scornful.
- pacifist
- It describes a person who rejects all violence, not necessarily someone who refused military service.
- draft dodger
- It is also negative but suggests avoiding service through trickery, not through belief.
Opposites
Word family
- conscience noun
- inner sense of right and wrong
- conscientious adjective
- careful and guided by duty or principle
- objector noun
- a person who objects
- conscription noun
- compulsory enlistment in the armed forces
Commonly confused: conchie or conch?
conchie vs conch
A conch is a large sea shell. A conchie is slang for a conscientious objector.
Practice
In a history lesson, which word was a slang insult for a man who refused military service on moral grounds?
Choose one answer.
Conchie was British slang for a conscientious objector. A recruit is someone who joins the forces, the opposite.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “conchie”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.