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veteran

noun vet·er·an \ ˈve-tə-rən , ˈve-trən \
|Updated on: 6 Jul 2018

Definition of veteran

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

See veteran defined for English-language learners

See veteran defined for kids

Examples of veteran in a Sentence

  1. a veteran of the political scene

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

Recent Examples of veteran from the Web

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

Origin and Etymology of veteran

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

veteran Synonyms

Synonyms

doyen, old hand, old-timer, stager, vet, warhorse;

Antonyms

beginner, colt, fledgling, freshman, greenhorn, neophyte, newbie, newcomer, novice, recruit, rookie, tenderfoot, tyro;

Near Antonyms

apprentice, cub;

boot, novitiate;

amateur, dilettante;

learner, student, trainee;

candidate, entrant, probationer;

Related Words

doyenne;

adept, dab hand [chiefly British], expert, guru, hand, master, maven (also mavin), past master, pro, professional;

Other Military Terms

bivouac, logistics, petard, salient, sally, supernumerary, tactical

VETERAN Defined for English Language Learners

veteran

noun

Definition of veteran for English Language Learners

  • : someone who fought in a war as a soldier, sailor, etc.

  • : someone who has a lot of experience in a particular activity, job, etc.

VETERAN Defined for Kids

1

veteran

noun vet·er·an \ ˈve-tə-rən , ˈve-trən \

Definition of veteran for Students

1 : a person who has had long experience
2 : a former member of the armed forces especially in war
2

veteran

adjective

Definition of veteran for Students

: having gained skill through experience
  • She is a veteran dog trainer.

Learn More about veteran

  1. Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for veteran Spanish Central: Translation of veteran Nglish: Translation of veteran for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of veteran for Arabic speakers

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