'pro-conscription' is a compound formed from the prefix 'pro-' and the noun 'conscription'. 'pro-' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'pro', where 'pro' meant 'for'; 'conscription' originates from Latin, specifically the verb 'conscribere', where 'con-' meant 'together' and 'scribere' meant 'to write'.

'conscription' passed into English via Old French/Medieval Latin (Latin 'conscriptio/conscribere') and came to mean the enrolling or levying of troops; the prefix 'pro-' has long been used in English compounds to indicate support. The compound 'pro-conscription' arose in modern English (notably in the late 19th to 20th centuries) to describe support for mandatory military service.

Originally 'conscription' referred to the act of enrolling or writing people down for service; over time the compound 'pro-conscription' has come to specifically mean 'supporting mandatory military service' in political and social contexts.