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

With key draft additions filling secondary gaps alongside veteran pass rushers upfront, even a middle-of-the-pack defensive performance would drastically change Dallas' game-to-game outlook. — David Troy Outkick, FOXNews.com, 26 Aug. 2026

There’s always the risk that another team would sign one of these veterans off the Steelers’ practice squad. — Mike Defabo, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026

Cliff is a World War II special ops veteran who lives in a trailer with his pit bull. — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2026

Other leadership departures this month have included Chief Revenue Officer Denise Dresser, who left after less than a year at OpenAI, and Chief Operating Officer Brad Lightcap, an OpenAI veteran since 2018. — John Kell, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026

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