veteran

[vet-er-uh n, ve-truh n]

See more synonyms for veteran on Thesaurus.com

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.

Origin of veteran

1495–1505; < Latin veterānus mature, experienced, equivalent to veter- (stem of vetus) old + -ānus -an

Related formsnon·vet·er·an, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for veteran

old-time, skilled, trained, pro, expert, vet, wise, versed, steady, adept, old, old-timer, trouper, warhorse, GI, sourdough, hardened, practical, practiced, proficient

Examples from the Web for veteran

Contemporary Examples of veteran

Jones is a veteran of another beloved-yet-controversial animated series on Adult Swim, The Boondocks.
‘Black Dynamite’ Presents Police Brutality: The Musical
Stereo Williams
January 9, 2015
The veteran, said he met Stone at support group Vets for Veterans.
Hunt for Iraq Vet After Killing Spree
M.L. Nestel
December 16, 2014
Veteran player Wiig continued without skipping a beat, but the damage was done.
The Curious Little Shell That Restarted Jenny Slate’s Career
Luke Hopping
December 15, 2014
His death was particularly difficult for the veteran firefighters who had spent years working alongside him.
The Mystery Death Of A Female Firefighter
Christopher Moraff
December 13, 2014
Craig-Lewis was an 11-year veteran of the Philadelphia Fire Department, a position she had aspired to since grade school.
The Mystery Death Of A Female Firefighter
Christopher Moraff
December 13, 2014

Historical Examples of veteran

But among the veteran speculators the feeling was conservative.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
The veteran at the stern we could not see, but doubtless his skill was equally remarkable.
The Roof of France
Matilda Betham-Edwards
"To-day I am only a soldier, Major Heyward," said the veteran.
The Last of the Mohicans
James Fenimore Cooper
A sad mishap it is, for he was a skilful leader and a veteran soldier.'
Micah Clarke
Arthur Conan Doyle
Saying this, she delivered the standard to the veteran warrior.
Gomez Arias
Joaqun Telesforo de Trueba y Coso

British Dictionary definitions for veteran

veteran

noun

1. a person or thing that has given long service in some capacity
2. (as modifier)veteran firemen
1. a soldier who has seen considerable active service
2. (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 Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for veteran

c.1500, "old experienced soldier," from French vétéran, from Latin veteranus "old," from vetus (genitive veteris) "old," from PIE *wetus- "year" (cf. Sanskrit vatsa- "year," Greek etos "year," Hittite witish "year," Old Church Slavonic vetuchu "old," Old Lithuanian vetušas "old, aged"). Latin vetus also is the ultimate source of Italian vecchio, French vieux, Spanish viejo. General sense of "one who has seen long service in any office or position" is attested from 1590s. The adjective first recorded 1610s.