veteran
Americannoun
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veterans
plural
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a person who has had long service or experience in an occupation, office, or the like.
a veteran of the police force; a veteran of many sports competitions.
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a person who has served in a military force, especially one who has fought in a war.
a Vietnam veteran.
adjective
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(of soldiers) having had service or experience in warfare.
veteran troops.
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experienced through long service or practice; having served for a long period.
a veteran member of Congress.
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of, relating to, or characteristic of veterans.
noun
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a person or thing that has given long service in some capacity
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( as modifier )
veteran firemen
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a soldier who has seen considerable active service
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( as modifier )
veteran soldier
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a person who has served in the military forces
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See veteran car
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of veteran
First recorded in 1495–1505; from Latin veterānus “mature, experienced,” from veter- (stem of vetus ) “old” + -ānus -an
Explanation
Veteran commonly refers to someone who has fought in a war––think Veterans' Day, the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial––but, in fact, the word can mean anyone with experience in a particular field. Many veterans of World War II went to college afterward, through the G.I. Bill, and pursued professional careers. At the end of those careers, it was not unusual to find among the ranks of veteran teachers or veteran attorneys or veteran doctors men who were also veterans of the war.
Vocabulary lists containing veteran
Veterans Day Vocabulary
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November Words
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Memorial Day: Words of Respect and Remembrance
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Cases like this “don’t just stop,” said Balliet, the 23-year HSI veteran.
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026
Not if you’re a veteran superhero trying to ignore the inference that your time is up.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Morale aboard a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier already is difficult to maintain without a record-breaking stint, said Julie Roland, a retired veteran Navy lieutenant commander who worked briefly on the USS Lincoln.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona, a veteran of the Marines, wants a bipartisan delegation to visit the Lincoln.
From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026
One veteran agent advised new recruits, “The first thing you’ve got to do is unlearn everything they taught you at the Seat of Government. The second is get rid of those damn manuals.”
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
Klare is part of a loaded position group that includes veterans Tyler Higbee, Colby Parkinson, Davis Allen and second-year pro Terrance Ferguson.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026
The lawmakers demanded that the VA disclose details about its shortage of mental health providers and the impact on veterans.
From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026
The group, called Swift Partners, includes several seasoned retail veterans, one of them a former boss of Co-operative Group.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
Former colleagues and industry veterans say 43-year-old Frick has always had a nose for what women will want to read.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
He organized celebrations to honor veterans and commemorate anniversaries of the Wall, as well as spearheading fund-raising efforts to keep the memorial in good repair.
From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
