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

While there have been high points this season with veteran QB Aaron Rodgers, Metcalf’s first year in Pittsburgh has also been marked by inconsistency. —Cole Sullivan, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Dec. 2025

The Jets have one of the youngest rosters in the NFL — no team has given more snaps to first- and second-year players — and in the midst of a lost season, the performance of veterans like Taylor and Folk won’t matter much in the long run. —Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2025

That project included public art, a veterans memorial park, road improvements, underground utilities lines, new sidewalks, landscaping, and two Vista signs arching over the roadway. —Stacy Brandt, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Nov. 2025

Coach Emma Hayes, who is entering her 30th game with the national team, is using these matches to evaluate players who lack experience and allow for leaders to emerge among the veterans. —Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 30 Nov. 2025

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