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

• vet
• expert
• professional
• old-timer
• warhorse
• master

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

The Dolphins augmented their cornerback room on Wednesday, adding veteran Cameron Dantzler Sr., who made 26 starts for the Minnesota Vikings earlier this decade but has been out of the league for the past year-and-a-half. —Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 19 Aug. 2025

The 29-year-old veteran details Florida’s rise as a hockey powerhouse. —Dj Siddiqi, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025

In other words, a belief that Dru Smith is better than any potential veteran center on the market. —Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2025

Paired with veteran Danielle Hunter, Anderson helped lead a Houston pass-rush that ranked fourth in the league in sacks and was sixth best against the pass. —Mike Jones, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025

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