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

The FDA has long had an entrenched culture of bureaucratic control, but biotech firms say it has become worse this past year.

From The Wall Street Journal

Now, they’re entrenched as the franchise quarterbacks for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Detroit Lions, respectively.

From The Wall Street Journal

China isn’t directly challenging oil pricing, in which the dollar remains deeply entrenched.

From Barron's

Nepal votes Thursday for a new parliament, six months after deadly anti-corruption protests toppled the government -- a high-stakes showdown between an entrenched old guard and a powerful youth movement.

From Barron's

It is unlikely any complex multinational would suddenly walk away from a system as entrenched as Salesforce, he said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• rooted