veteran

American  

[vet-er-uhn, ve-truhn] / ˈvɛt ər ən, ˈvɛ trən /

noun

• veterans
  plural

1. 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.

2. a person who has served in a military force, especially one who has fought in a war.

   a Vietnam veteran.

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adjective

1. (of soldiers) having had service or experience in warfare.

   veteran troops.

2. experienced through long service or practice; having served for a long period.

   a veteran member of Congress.

3. of, relating to, or characteristic of veterans.

veteran British  

/ ˈvɛtrən, ˈvɛtərən /

noun

1. 1. a person or thing that has given long service in some capacity

   2. ( as modifier )

      veteran firemen

2. 1. a soldier who has seen considerable active service

   2. ( as modifier )

      veteran soldier

3. a person who has served in the military forces

4. See veteran car

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonveteran
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• veterans
  plural

Etymology

Origin of veteran

First recorded in 1495–1505; from Latin veterānus “mature, experienced,” from veter- (stem of vetus ) “old” + -ānus -an

Explanation

Veteran commonly refers to someone who has fought in a war––think Veterans' Day, the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial––but, in fact, the word can mean anyone with experience in a particular field. Many veterans of World War II went to college afterward, through the G.I. Bill, and pursued professional careers. At the end of those careers, it was not unusual to find among the ranks of veteran teachers or veteran attorneys or veteran doctors men who were also veterans of the war.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

veteran veterans

Their roster is filled with players who specialize in bat control, like Walls, veteran Cedric Mullins and speedster Chandler Simpson, who didn’t hit a home run this year but did have 14 bunt hits.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

Kane went to League One Leyton Orient - making his professional debut in January 2011 at Rochdale, coming on for veteran striker Scott McGleish.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

While Duncan is a homeowner, he said he was only able to afford it with a 0%-down VA home loan as an Iraq war veteran.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026

“People are not idiots,” said Beth Steinberg, a veteran human-resources executive who has spent much of her career at technology companies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026

When varsity turnout commenced on the afternoon of October 21, four boatloads of boys showed up, all veteran oarsmen.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

On its website, it says it welcomes "above all" veterans of the Ukraine war and their families, as well as students and schoolchildren.

From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026

Homeownership boomed as the economy grew, home building increased, and financing became easier for veterans through the G.I.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026

This one, set 14 years before the events of the first game, follows young veterans who are snapped out of civilian life when a subterranean menace emerges and attacks humanity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026

Hotel industry veterans note that if guests call in advance, many hotels are able to prepare guest rooms without artificial scents.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026

Four veterans emerged from the crowd, stood in front of the Wall, and sang the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young song “Find the Cost of Freedom.”

From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge

Related Words

• old-time
• skilled
• trained