inveterate

adjective

in·​vet·​er·​ate in-ˈve-t(ə-)rət 

1

: confirmed in a habit : habitual

an inveterate liar

2

: firmly established by long persistence

the inveterate tendency to overlook the obvious

inveterately adverb

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The History of Inveterate

Despite how it may seem at first glance, inveterate has nothing to do with lacking a spine. That’s invertebrate, which came into English in the early 19th century from New Latin, the Latin vocabulary used in scientific description and classification. Inveterate, on the other hand, is a true veteran of the English language, with a membership card dating to the 15th century. Like veteran, inveterate ultimately comes from the Latin adjective vetus, which means "old." (In times past, inveterate had among its meanings "old.") The more direct source of inveterate, however, is the Latin adjective inveteratus, with which it shares the meaning "firmly established by long persistence." Today inveterate most often describes someone who so frequently or invariably engages in a particular habit or attitude as to be regularly identified with that habit or attitude, as when political columnist Jamelle Bouie observed "The truth is that our best presidents—or at least our most successful ones—have been inveterate flip-floppers, willing to break from unpopular positions, move with political winds, and adjust to new complications."

Synonyms

• deep
• lifelong
• hard-core
• entrenched
• rooted
• confirmed

Choose the Right Synonym for 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.

an inveterate smoker

confirmed implies a growing stronger and firmer with time so as to resist change or reform.

a confirmed bachelor

chronic suggests something that is persistent or endlessly recurrent and troublesome.

a chronic complainer

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 on the Web

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Walczak has been an inveterate tax scofflaw since at least 2011. —Christopher Hale, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 June 2025

An inveterate traveler who had explored 60-plus countries and often incorporated historical art and cultural references into her designs, McFadden died in September at the age of 85. —Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD, 4 Mar. 2025

My wife and younger son, however, are inveterate puzzle solvers. —Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Feb. 2025

An inveterate performer, Carvey gave off a sense of perpetual people-pleasing, and the results were undeniably popular and hilarious, as the laughs echoed throughout his sketches. —Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 16 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

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Kids Definition

inveterate

adjective

in·​vet·​er·​ate in-ˈvet-ə-rət 

-ˈve-trət

1

: firmly established by age or by long continuation

inveterate habits

2

: habitual sense 2

an inveterate complainer

inveterately adverb

Medical Definition

inveterate

adjective

in·​vet·​er·​ate in-ˈvet-ə-rət, -ˈve-trət 

1

: marked by long duration or frequent recurrence

inveterate bursitis

2

: confirmed in a habit : habitual sense 2

an inveterate smoker