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veteran

noun
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vet·​er·​an | \ ˈve-tə-rən How to pronounce veteran (audio) , ˈve-trən \

Definition of veteran

1a : 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)
Other Words from veteran Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about veteran

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Other Words from veteran

veteran adjective

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 Chief La'Ron Singletary, a 20-year veteran of the department, was appointed to the role by Mayor Lovely Warren last year. — Victoria Albert, CBS News, "Rochester police chief resigns after Daniel Prude's death sparks days of protests," 8 Sep. 2020 Mba, 15, enters her second year at Century already a veteran of extracurricular activities. — Megan Woodward, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, "Century sophomore selected as Maryland delegate to 2020 World Food Prize Global Youth Institute," 7 Sep. 2020 Investigator Mario Herrera, a 23-year veteran of the Lincoln Police Department, was attempting to serve a second-degree assault warrant related to a March homicide when he was shot August 26, the department said in a Facebook post. — Kay Jones And Allen Kim, CNN, "Lincoln police officer Mario Herrera dies nearly two weeks after being shot while serving a warrant," 7 Sep. 2020 Founded in 2000 by a veteran of U.S. and Taiwanese chip companies, SMIC grew to become China’s largest contract manufacturer of chips and was at one time a major producer for North American chip companies. — Dan Strumpf, WSJ, "U.S. Weighs Export Controls on China’s Top Chip Maker," 5 Sep. 2020 Catie is an Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, a professor of aerospace studies, and a veteran of deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. — Joe Pappalardo, Popular Mechanics, "How a Russian Rocket Launch Failed Spectacularly In Just 118 Seconds," 3 Sep. 2020 Paul West, an 18-year veteran of the department, filed the suit Aug. 19 against the city, Chief Jason Thody, four members of his command staff — Assistant Chief Rafael Medina, deputy chiefs Sonia Watson and Dustin Rendock and Capt. — Rebecca Lurye, courant.com, "Hartford police lieutenant alleges racial discrimination, retaliation in federal lawsuit against city," 1 Sep. 2020 Reed Galen, a veteran of the George W. Bush and John McCain presidential campaigns who is supporting Biden this time, said Biden shouldn’t have ceded the first high-level visit to Kenosha, Wisconsin, to Trump, who is there Tuesday. — Jennifer Epstein, Bloomberg.com, "Jittery Democrats Prod Biden to Pick Up the Pace as Race Tightens," 1 Sep. 2020 That article was written by Cassandra Spratling, a veteran of the Detroit Free Press. — National Geographic, "‘I put my camera to my face and cried.’ Documenting a COVID-19 hot spot," 1 Sep. 2020

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.

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First Known Use of veteran

1509, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

History and Etymology for veteran

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

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Time Traveler for veteran

Time Traveler

The first known use of veteran was in 1509

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Statistics for veteran

Last Updated

11 Sep 2020

Cite this Entry

“Veteran.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/veteran. Accessed 21 Sep. 2020.

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More Definitions for veteran

veteran

noun
How to pronounce veteran (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of veteran

: someone who fought in a war as a soldier, sailor, etc.
: someone who has a lot of experience in a particular activity, job, etc.

See the full definition for veteran in the English Language Learners Dictionary

veteran

noun
vet·​er·​an | \ ˈve-tə-rən How to pronounce veteran (audio) , ˈve-trən \

Kids Definition of veteran

 (Entry 1 of 2)

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

veteran

adjective

Kids Definition of veteran (Entry 2 of 2)

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

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More from Merriam-Webster on veteran

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for veteran

Nglish: Translation of veteran for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of veteran for Arabic Speakers

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