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

Then Kreiz took the mallet and landed a cannon-shot ring on the bell that was so loud that one of the Citadel traders turned around in shock, and even Wall Street veteran Gerry Cardinale’s eyebrows were raised. — Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 12 Oct. 2026

Jackson, 42, sits on Galt’s Planning Commission and is a Navy veteran and local business owner. — Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 12 Oct. 2026

Seiber, 40, was a father of two and an Air Force veteran who served 10 years with the Philadelphia Police Department. — Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026

Guests included Naomi Osaka’s longtime agent Stuart Duguid and veteran executive Rich Kleiman. — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 12 Oct. 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