veteran

noun

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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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

James Reynolds was later implicated in an unrelated scandal involving unpaid back wages for Revolutionary War veterans. — Liz Cantrell, Town & Country, "Before Jeff Bezos, Alexander Hamilton Outsmarted His Blackmailers with the Reynolds Pamphlet," 8 Feb. 2019 One is provision 107, which has to do with how monthly housing allowances for student veterans are calculated. — Emily Stewart, Vox, "The VA’s latest issues paying student veterans their benefits, explained," 11 Dec. 2018 These issues are particularly impactful on the 1.1 million of us caring for post-9/11 veterans—especially those caregivers who are 30 years old or younger. — Sonia Yulfo, Marie Claire, "My Dad Was Injured in Afghanistan. Now I Take Care of Him Full-Time," 12 Nov. 2018 Arizonans want someone who focuses on standing up for veterans, making healthcare more affordable, protecting Medicare and Social Security, and fighting for Arizona jobs. — Jill Filipovic, Harper's BAZAAR, "Your State-by-State Guide to Women Running in the Midterms," 31 Oct. 2018 Next door, the Abiel Smith School served as the nation’s oldest public school for African American children and eventually a headquarters for black Civil War veterans. — Elizabeth Wellington, Condé Nast Traveler, "12 Best Museums in Boston You'll Want To Visit," 17 July 2018 The following April, the pair filled out a form claiming that Chizer was a service-disabled veteran with majority ownership of the company. — Gabrielle Banks, Houston Chronicle, "Pearland men face sentencing for fraudulent bidding under guise that disabled veteran was majority owner of business," 12 July 2018 Palin claimed in a recent blog post that Cohen pretended to be a disabled veteran in an interview. — Morgan Greene, chicagotribune.com, "Former Illinois congressman Joe Walsh, joins Sarah Palin: I was 'duped' by Sacha Baron Cohen — sort of," 12 July 2018 Identifying veterans of historic conflicts is a priority for both history enthusiasts and the U.S military alike. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "AI Could Help You Identify Civil War Vets in Your Family Tree," 4 Mar. 2019

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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More Definitions for veteran

veteran

noun

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

, 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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