entrenched
Americanadjective
-
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.
-
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
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of entrenched
Explanation
When you're entrenched, you're dug in. Sometimes that means you're literally in a trench, but usually it means you just won't budge from a position or belief. Entrenched things are buried so solidly that they can't move — or just behave like they're firmly lodged in some deep hole. Usually this word refers to views people hold very strongly. Having turkey on Thanksgiving is a tradition that's entrenched in American culture — it's long been established and isn't going anywhere. When you're entrenched, you're being stubborn or consistent, depending on your view.
Vocabulary lists containing entrenched
30 GRE Words Beginning with "E" and "F"
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This Week in Words: February 2 - 8, 2019
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State of the Union Address 2016
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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.
“Often, the longer a girl goes without knowing she has autism, the more deeply entrenched are her own negative attributions about her failings,” Kenworthy said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
Supporters see a decisive leader prepared to confront Colombia's entrenched violence.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
We often hear we’re living in a new progressive era, not unlike the one 120 years ago when popular reforms took on trusts and entrenched power.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
But Vrticka says that change is gradual and professional support is likely to be needed for people with more entrenched attachment patterns.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Shorthand terms are unobjectionable, indeed indispensable, when a term has become entrenched in the community one is writing for.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
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.
