entrenched

[en-trencht]

adjective

1. firmly or solidly established; placed in a position of strength.

   One of the most firmly entrenched ideas of masculinity is that men don't cry.

2. surrounded by trenches dug for defensive purposes.

   Government troops had finally been forced to abandon their entrenched positions, making them vulnerable to ground attack.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of entrench.

Other Word Forms

• unentrenched adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of entrenched¹

entrench ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Related Words

• rooted