conscientious objector
Preserved but no longer current.
One who takes advantage of a conscience clause (#.v.), and so does not have to comply with some particular requirement of the law in question. The name used to be applied specially to those who would swear legally that they had a conscien- tious objection to vaccination.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “conscientious objector” mean?
One who takes advantage of a conscience clause (#.v.), and so does not have to comply with some particular requirement of the law in question. The name used to be applied specially to those who would swear legally that they had a conscien- tious objection to vaccination.
Is “conscientious objector” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.