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conchy

British slang for a conscientious objector — someone who refuses military service on moral, ethical, or religious grounds.

ˈkɒn.t͡ʃi103 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
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#1·Apr 28, 2026

British slang for a conscientious objector — someone who refuses military service on moral, ethical, or religious grounds. The shortened form 'conchy' was widely used during both World Wars, sometimes affectionately among those who shared the objector's views, and sometimes as a term of contempt from those who considered refusal cowardly or unpatriotic. Today it carries more historical than active usage, surfacing most often in discussions of wartime history, pacifism, and civil liberties.

His grandfather had been a conchy in the Second World War and was quietly proud of it for the rest of his life.
Origin: Shortened form of 'conscientious objector', widely used from WWI onwards in British English. Editorial expansion authored on Slangora (model-assisted, hedged).
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#2·Apr 26, 2026

(slang) A conscientious objector.

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