entrenched

American  

[en-trencht] / ɛnˈtrɛntʃt /

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.

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verb

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

Other Word Forms

• unentrenched adjective

Etymology

Origin of entrenched

entrench ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

Mainframes are “deeply entrenched” across industries, he added.

From MarketWatch

Wasserman, chair of LA28, has close relationships with International Olympic Committee figures and is entrenched in the sports and marketing worlds.

From Los Angeles Times

Investors might be anxious about how AI is quickly threatening these entrenched industries.

From Barron's

It entrenched a rivalry between the two families that would define the country's politics for decades.

From Barron's

In a referendum held 13 years ago, Zimbabweans overwhelmingly voted for a new constitution that introduced presidential term limits when Mugabe's grip on power seemed entrenched - he had ruled the country since independence in 1980.

From BBC

Related Words

• rooted