vet
noun
vet
1 American
[vet]
/ vɛt /
noun
verb (used with object)
-
vets,
present (3rd person singular)
-
vetted,
past participle, past
-
vetting
present participle
-
to appraise, verify, or check for accuracy, authenticity, suitability, etc..
An expert vetted the manuscript before publication.
-
to examine or treat in one's capacity as a veterinarian.
verb (used without object)
-
vets,
present (3rd person singular)
-
vetted,
past participle, past
-
vetting
present participle
vet
2
American
[vet]
/ vɛt /
noun
Informal.
vet.
3
American
abbreviation
-
veteran.
-
veterinarian.
-
veterinary.
vet
1
British
/ vɛt /
noun
verb
-
(tr) to make a prior examination and critical appraisal of (a person, document, scheme, etc) See also positive vetting
the candidates were well vetted
-
to examine, treat, or cure (an animal)
vet.
2
British
abbreviation
-
veteran
-
veterinarian
-
veterinary
vet
3
British
/ vɛt /
noun
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
vetsimple
-
vetssimple
-
have vettedperfect
-
has vettedperfect
-
am vettingprogressive
-
are vettingprogressive
-
is vettingprogressive
-
have been vettingperfect progressive
-
has been vettingperfect progressive
Past
-
vettedsimple
-
had vettedperfect
-
was vettingprogressive
-
were vettingprogressive
-
had been vettingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of vet1
First recorded in 1860–65; short for veterinarian
Origin of vet2
An Americanism dating back to 1865–70; shortened form
Explanation
You are a vet if you served in the Armed Forces, or if you went to veterinary school and now give medical care to animals. The noun vet is short for either veteran (of the Armed Forces) or veterinarian (animal doctor). As a verb, vet means "to carefully examine beforehand." For example, your boss might ask you to vet people's applications before calling them for interviews, just to make sure they have the right experience for the job. Medically speaking, when a doctor vets you — or an animal — medical care is given.
Vocabulary lists containing vet
Essential Three-Letter Words, Part 3
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This Week In Words: April 12–18, 2020
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Vocabulary from President Trump's First Address to Congress
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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.
See Examples For:
Anyone whose animal has been swimming or drinking from an algae-affected area and begins suffering from vomiting, diarrhoea, seizures or breathing difficulties is advised to consult a vet immediately.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
Jason Beaman, a Navy and Army vet, was shuffled among therapists who later left until he finally had enough.
From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026
Gigi Bannister told TMZ, which first reported the actor’s death, that her late husband was a Vietnam War vet and was exposed to Agent Orange during his service.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
Insurance companies carefully vet artists before offering what’s known as “event cancellation/non-appearance coverage.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
“Mira, honey,” Mom said with a sad smile, “everything’s going to be okay. We’ll take Sir Fig Newton to the vet and figure it out.”
From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas
"But if you notice something unusual on your pet or livestock, reach out to a vet. Don't ignore it."
From Science Daily ● Dec. 17, 2025
“He’s a great scorer, great mentor for guys. Leadership. He’s a vet. He knows the game. For us, he brings all those,” Davis said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 9, 2021
“He’s smart. He’s a vet. He’s crafty how he does things,” Mahomes said.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 4, 2021
“He was a Vietnam vet. He served honorably. He came home, he was against the war. So were a lot of vets.”
From Washington Post ● Apr. 26, 2016
“If it was still alive,” Milt said, “we could take it to a real animal vet. I wonder what it’s worth. Anybody got a copy of Sidney’s?”
From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick
Also like many vets, he loves guns, and is excited, post-recovery, to “go hog hunting.”
From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026
She took him to the vets and managed to use his microchip to track his owner in Sunderland and reunite them.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
Distressed vets administered a glucose injection -- the only option, given that the cause of the ailment remains unknown -- to the 11-year-old male, known as Genghis Khan, who was struggling to breathe.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
Indeed, studies have shown that vets get better care at the VA than through private providers.
From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026
Between songs the disc jockey kept shouting to the vets that they were heroes.
From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge
The Times has reported he tapped the insurers he owned for financing, a deal that was later vetted by state insurance regulators.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
Walter tapped insurers he controlled to provide most of the financing for the $2.15-billion acquisition of the Dodgers in 2012, The Times has reported — a deal later vetted by state insurance regulators.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
A few people have been named to them, but they haven’t set up operations on the ground, nor have they been vetted by anyone whose vetting is necessary to give them power.
From Slate ● Aug. 3, 2026
Neutrality means the FJC’s materials should be written by disinterested experts, vetted for bias and confined to helping judges understand evidence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026
His story was vetted and scrutinized by former prisoners and guards from the camps, as well as by human rights lawyers, South Korean journalists, and other experts with extensive knowledge of the camps.
From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden
A few people have been named to them, but they haven’t set up operations on the ground, nor have they been vetted by anyone whose vetting is necessary to give them power.
From Slate ● Aug. 3, 2026
They added their concerns about a wider problem with the party's vetting on social media and of candidates, including around antisemitic posts in recent months.
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
While the centre operates without strict Vatican oversight, it follows long-standing Church rules governing exorcism, including mandatory vetting by mental health professionals.
From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026
Concerns grew louder on the eve of the tournament, as thousands of tickets for the U.S. national team’s opening game remained unsold and a referee from Somalia was denied entry over vetting concerns.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
In vetting him for the job, his trainer neglected to look at his sister, a local basketball phenom.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
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.
