veteran

noun

vet·​er·​an ˈve-tə-rən 

ˈve-trən

1

a

: a former member of the armed forces

b

: an old soldier of long service

2

: a person of long experience usually in some occupation or skill (such as politics or the arts)

veteran adjective

Synonyms of veteran

• vet
• expert
• professional
• master
• warhorse

Examples of veteran in a Sentence

a veteran of the political scene

He's a 10-year veteran with the team.

Recent Examples on the Web

In 1984, Monsanto and six other chemical companies agreed to pay a $180 million settlement to Vietnam veterans who were exposed to the chemical herbicide Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. —Chicago Tribune, 7 May 2026

The speakers were agency veterans from the shrunken regional office who did their best to be cheerful. —E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 7 May 2026

Enyedi, a veteran director whose 1989 debut My 20th Century was a small arthouse phenomenon back in the day, and whose 2017 film On Body and Soul won the Golden Bear at Berlin and was nominated for an Oscar, understands her audience the way a scientist understands their subject. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 May 2026

Activision said 100% of its net proceeds from the pack, excluding applicable taxes, will be donated to the Call of Duty Endowment, which funds programs that help veterans secure employment. —Kennedy French, Variety, 6 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin veteranus, from veteranus, adjective, old, of long experience, from veter-, vetus old — more at wether

First Known Use

1509, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Kids Definition

veteran

noun

vet·​er·​an ˈvet-ə-rən 

ˈve-trən

1

: a person who has had long experience (as in politics or the arts)

2

: a former member of the armed forces especially during wartime

veteran adjective