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
- unentrenched adjective
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.
Governing such a state requires balancing competing interests, navigating entrenched divisions and, yes, making decisions that will inevitably anger one side or the other.
From Salon • Apr. 15, 2026
This reflects a broader European tilt away from guarantees, which are less entrenched than in the U.S. annuity market, where insurers carry heavier balance sheet risk.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026
"They are not monsters - they are just regular people we encounter in our daily lives. Patriarchy is so deeply entrenched that most people are not even aware they are being misogynistic," he says.
From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026
“The longer inflation remains above 2%, the greater the risk that it becomes entrenched in expectations,” he said.
From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026
“I have heard,” I said, “that there are a mere three hundred entrenched in the village.”
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
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.
