veteran

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

Updated on: 14 Apr 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)

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veteran

adjective

See veteran defined for English-language learners

See veteran defined for kids

Examples of veteran in a Sentence

a veteran of the political scene
He's a 10-year veteran with the team.

Recent Examples of veteran from the Web

The Texans have veteran Pro Bowl punter Shane Lechler under contract for this season.

— aaron wilson, Houston Chronicle, "Texans work out Incarnate Word punter Joe Zema," 11 Apr. 2018
The veteran guard had another solid performance, scoring a game-high 28 points and hitting 6 of 9 three-pointers.

— keith pompey, Philly.com, "Sixers-Hawks observations: JJ Redick's leadership, Robert Covington's defense," 11 Apr. 2018
Rosenberger and his rival for the post, then-Finance Chairman Rep. Ron Amstutz, a veteran lawmaker from Wooster, jockeyed for front-runner status in the 2014 speaker's race.

— jackie borchardt, cleveland.com, "Cliff Rosenberger's unlikely tenure as Ohio House Speaker coming to an abrupt end," 11 Apr. 2018
Miami has a veteran group of receivers that needs to figure out a way to excel alongside quarterback Ryan Tannehill in coach Adam Gase’s pass-happy offense.

— chris perkins, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Perkins: Dolphins don't need to bother drafting a receiver, they need to get more out of Parker | Analysis," 11 Apr. 2018
Janrain, a customer identity and access management company in Portland, has appointed analytics and e-commerce veteran Todd Etchieson to its management team as new vice president of product.

— rosemarie stein, OregonLive.com, "Business Movers: Advertising agency Opinionated names Trish Adams president," 11 Apr. 2018
The organizations will join forces in efforts that support veteran explorers, nurture emerging explorers, and protect Earth’s wonders.

— brian j. skerry, National Geographic, "How One Country Is Restoring Its Damaged Ocean," 11 Apr. 2018
In 2018, the president has changed his secretary of state, national security adviser, veterans affairs secretary, CIA director, staff secretary, communications director and members of his legal team.

— the washington post, AL.com, "Thomas Bossert, Trump's homeland security adviser, resigning," 10 Apr. 2018
The veteran Toffees star, who has been utilised in the centre of midfield in recent months, was withdrawn on the hour mark in the 0-0 draw with Liverpool - and his response to having been taken off wasn't exactly positive.

— SI.com, "FanView: Wayne Rooney's Furious Sub Reaction Summed Up What Everton Have Been Missing This Season," 10 Apr. 2018

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1509

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veteran Synonyms

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

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

veteran

adjective

Definition of veteran for Students

: having gained skill through experience

She is a veteran dog trainer.

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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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veteran

Definition of veteran for English Language Learners

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