entrenched
Americanadjective
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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.
Over the long term, this can mean a changed society as more conformist and compliant speech and culture become more widely accepted and entrenched.
From Salon • May 28, 2026
It is the sovereign people alone who can craft entrenched rules.
From Slate • May 26, 2026
Drawing parallels between the two leaders' electoral wins over entrenched nationalist, authoritarian leaders, Magyar said his host in Warsaw "was also faced with similar problems".
From Barron's • May 20, 2026
In a league defined by a Celtic-Rangers duopoly so entrenched that it’s known as the Old Firm, simply pulling into contention is cause for celebration.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
Now a quarantine barrier in Mississippi seeks to prevent the re-entrance of the screw-worm from the Southwest, where it is firmly entrenched.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
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.
