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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
This Week In Words: April 12–18, 2020
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Vocabulary from President Trump's First Address to Congress
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Basil Smikle, a political strategist and professor at Columbia University, has argued that Black voters often vet candidates through a different lens than some other groups do.
From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2026
But the Ministry of Transportation, which oversees foreign carriers, said it didn’t believe it had the authority or required expertise to vet flight crews.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
The fundraiser, which as of Friday evening had raised more than $15,000, will go toward covering medical care, vet bills and property damage.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 26, 2026
However, Cate Titterton, the owner of an independent vet service in Saltburn, told BBC Your Voice the changes will make trips to the vets more expensive for customers.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
The vet lady ushered us into an exam room.
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 smart. He’s a vet. He’s crafty how he does things,” Mahomes said.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 4, 2021
"Thirteenth?! He's a vet — a true, true vet. To me it still seems like he's just gotten to the league."
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 10, 2016
“He’s an NBA vet. He didn’t try to force anything when he was trying out for the team. He said, ‘I’m just going to take the shots I like and not force anything.’
From Washington Post ● Dec. 12, 2014
“La medicina. You can give her the medicine I got from the vet. He says it might help.”
From "Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish" by Pablo Cartaya
"We don't want people to be restricted given the fact that it's now at this time where the vets think there's unlikely to be transmission of the disease," Fairlie added.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
He toyed with the idea of becoming a veterinarian, but after noticing that winemakers seemed a lot happier than vets, he decided to study winemaking instead.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
Pasadena Humane said it rushed the bird to its Wildlife Center, where vets found swelling but no broken bones.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
She described the vets in the study as older and sicker than the general public.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026
The vets who’d come back struggling with their own anger, sorrow, and guilt would have a place to honor their fallen brothers.
From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge
Google on Wednesday said it would withhold its most powerful artificial intelligence model from the public for now, releasing Gemini 4 Argon only to a vetted group of cybersecurity experts to avoid misuse by hackers.
From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026
The $1tn tech company only made Claude Mythos 5.1 available to vetted US bodies.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
Part of the money Walter invested in the deal came from the insurers he controlled, although that deal was vetted by state insurance regulators.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026
Costco members “know that if they buy something from Costco, it has been vetted, and we feel it’s the best thing in the category,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
“Visitors are vetted weeks before they arrive at the Ice Court,” Matthias said.
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
Under the new regime, visa holders who need more time will have to file formal applications with the federal government, subjecting themselves to additional background checks, biometric vetting, and other bureaucratic hurdles.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
Reform UK has a robust vetting processs for prospective donors approved by the Electoral Commission.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
Germany's young defence firms face other hurdles, from lengthy security vetting for staff to red tape.
From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026
Following the review and in response to concern over high-profile vetting failures in England including the case of David Carrick, Police Scotland initiated a "historic data wash".
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 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.
