veteran
Americannoun
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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.
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a person who has served in a military force, especially one who has fought in a war.
a Vietnam veteran.
adjective
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(of soldiers) having had service or experience in warfare.
veteran troops.
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experienced through long service or practice; having served for a long period.
a veteran member of Congress.
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of, relating to, or characteristic of veterans.
noun
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a person or thing that has given long service in some capacity
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( as modifier )
veteran firemen
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a soldier who has seen considerable active service
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( as modifier )
veteran soldier
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a person who has served in the military forces
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See veteran car
Other Word Forms
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.
Vocabulary lists containing veteran
Veterans Day Vocabulary
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November Words
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Memorial Day: Words of Respect and Remembrance
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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.
Three men, including an Air Force veteran, were convicted and sentenced to prison.
From Salon • May 25, 2026
Brown told the intermediary he felt anguish when watching “Top Gun: Maverick,” which stars Tom Cruise as a veteran U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 24, 2026
Across the three-day event, festivalgoers also witnessed an electric headline set from Swedish pop star Zara Larsson and were taken on a nostalgia-fuelled set by veteran DJ Fatboy Slim.
From BBC • May 24, 2026
The four-year MLB veteran is up to 12 career lead-off homers and has three in 2026.
From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2026
Henry Schacht, a veteran industrialist now with Warburg Pincus, was brought in by Lucent, the successor of Western Electric, to help manage it through this crazy period.
From "The World Is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman
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.
