A draft is an elemental and rough plan of a document, for example a manuscript or a piece of official government legislation. Important and lengthy documents often go through several drafts, becoming successivelly more refined at each stage until the final publishable product is produced.


Architectural diagrams and building plans are drawn up by a draftsman.


A draft (british spelling draught) is a breeze blowing through an enclosed space.


At various times of war, governments have passed legislation to legalise enforced conscription of young men into the military for the duration of the conflict. This is known colloquially as the draft.


Draft is a term used to indicate the depth of the lowest point of a ship or boat, usually with a full load, and thus the minimum depth of any waterway through which it needs to pass. It also refers to the curvature of the sail.