inveterate

adjective in·vet·er·ate \ in-ˈve-t(ə-)rət \

Updated on: 25 Apr 2018

Definition of inveterate

1 : firmly established by long persistence

the inveterate tendency to overlook the obvious

2 : confirmed in a habit : habitual

an inveterate liar

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inveterately

adverb

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Examples of inveterate in a Sentence

his inveterate tendency to overlook the obvious
he has an inveterate tendency to tell some very tall tales

Recent Examples of inveterate from the Web

The Senrio attack starts by targeting a security camera that is still vulnerable to an inveterate IoT bug the researchers disclosed in July, know as Devil’s Ivy.

— lily hay newman, WIRED, "An Elaborate Hack Shows How Much Damage IoT Bugs Can Do," 16 Apr. 2018
Meanwhile, through Facebook, Smith hooked up with an inveterate Rogers fan, a Boca CPA named John Baker who knew Rogers from the horse-racing tracks.

— jose lambiet, miamiherald, "Talk host Neil Rogers is dead, but his radio archive lives on | Miami Herald," 13 Apr. 2018
At the State Department, former CIA chief Mike Pompeo, an inveterate Iran hawk, spent the days after the Douma attack assembling a coalition of forces to join in military action.

— w.j. hennigan, Time, "Can the U.S. Deter War Crimes Without Going to War with Syria?," 12 Apr. 2018
Yes, Republicans did enact a tax cut that, for them, salvaged the year, and that had to be gratifying to the inveterate supply-sider Ryan.

— ed kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "Paul Ryan’s Long Fight to Destroy the Welfare State Ends in Defeat," 11 Apr. 2018
An inveterate outdoorsman, Mr. Barrett enjoyed bike riding, hiking, kayaking, cross-country skiing and trap shooting.

— frederick n. rasmussen, baltimoresun.com, "R. Alan 'Al' Barrett, salesman, bicyclist and outdoorsman, dies," 3 Apr. 2018
Bernstein was extroverted, beloved, trained at fine schools, a best-selling artist, an inveterate borrower who worked jazz into his classical and theater scores.

— lawrence toppman, charlotteobserver, "Get more familiar with NC's Thelonious Monk (before his music stars at Charlotte Jazz Festival)," 2 Apr. 2018
An inveterate shopper alights at a train station, finds no ride waiting, dumps her bags and starts walking.

— joan frank, San Francisco Chronicle, "Short stories by Huang, Ausubel, Schutt, McGuane," 16 Mar. 2018
Get our daily newsletter The relative strength of public-sector unions and their inveterate support of Democratic policymakers have made them a prime target of Republican governors, especially in the Midwest.

— The Economist, "Public-sector unionsUnions are confronted with an existential threat," 22 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'inveterate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

The History of inveterate

Like veteran, inveterate ultimately comes from Latin vetus, which means "old," and which led to the Latin verb inveterare ("to age"). That verb in turn gave rise eventually to the adjective inveteratus, the direct source of our adjective inveterate (in use since the 14th century). In the past, inveterate has meant "long-standing" or simply "old." For example, one 16th-century writer warned of "Those great Flyes which in the springe time of the yeare creepe out of inveterate walls." Today, inveterate most often applies to a habit, attitude, or feeling of such long existence that it is practically ineradicable or unalterable.

Origin and Etymology of inveterate

Middle English, from Latin inveteratus, from past participle of inveterare to age (transitive verb), from in- + veter-, vetus old — more at wether

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

inveterate Synonyms

Synonyms

bred-in-the-bone, confirmed, deep, deep-rooted, deep-seated, entrenched (also intrenched), hard-core, rooted, settled;

Near Antonyms

brief, ephemeral, fleeting, impermanent, interim, momentary, provisional, short-lived, short-term, temporary, transient;

embedded (also imbedded), implanted, inculcated, instilled;

inborn, inbred, ingrained (also engrained), inherent, innate, integral, intrinsic, natural;

accustomed, chronic, customary, habitual, regular, typical, usual;

abiding, enduring, lifelong, persistent, persisting;

Synonym Discussion of inveterate

inveterate, confirmed, chronic mean firmly established. inveterate applies to a habit, attitude, or feeling of such long existence as to be practically ineradicable or unalterable.