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veteran
[ vet-er-uhn, ve-truhn ]
/ ˈvɛt ər ən, ˈvɛ trən /
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Definition of veteran
noun
a person who has had long service or experience in an occupation, office, or the like: a veteran of the police force; a veteran of many sports competitions.
a person who has served in a military force, especially one who has fought in a war: a Vietnam veteran.
adjective
(of soldiers) having had service or experience in warfare: veteran troops.
experienced through long service or practice; having served for a long period: a veteran member of Congress.
of, relating to, or characteristic of veterans.
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Origin of veteran
1495–1505; <Latin veterānus mature, experienced, equivalent to veter- (stem of vetus) old + -ānus-an
OTHER WORDS FROM veteran
non·vet·er·an, nounWords nearby veteran
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use veteran in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for veteran
veteran
/ (ˈvɛtərən, ˈvɛtrən) /
noun
- a person or thing that has given long service in some capacity
- (as modifier)veteran firemen
- a soldier who has seen considerable active service
- (as modifier)veteran soldier
US and Canadian a person who has served in the military forces
See veteran car
Word Origin for veteran
C16: from Latin veterānus, from vetus old
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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