veteran

noun

vet·​er·​an ˈve-tə-rən How to pronounce veteran (audio)
ˈve-trən
Synonyms of veterannext
1
a
: a former member of the armed forces
b
: an old soldier of long service
2
: a person of long experience usually in some occupation or skill (such as politics or the arts)
veteran adjective

Synonyms of veteran

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Examples of veteran in a Sentence

a veteran of the political scene He's a 10-year veteran with the team.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Rookies struggled to play with veterans and locals with internationals. — Michael Morris, Time, 1 July 2026 That puts the 14-year NHL veteran under contract through his age-42 season. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 1 July 2026 Raul Jimenez is still an exceptionally productive veteran as a 35-year-old striker. — Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026 Democrats are reeling from upsets in Colorado’s primary Tuesday night as an anti-establishment wave buried a pair of party veterans. — Adam Beam, AJC.com, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for veteran

Word History

Etymology

Latin veteranus, from veteranus, adjective, old, of long experience, from veter-, vetus old — more at wether

First Known Use

1509, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Time Traveler
The first known use of veteran was in 1509

Browse Nearby Words

vetchworm
veteran
veteranize
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Cite this Entry

“Veteran.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/veteran. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

veteran

noun
vet·​er·​an ˈvet-ə-rən How to pronounce veteran (audio)
ˈve-trən
1
: a person who has had long experience (as in politics or the arts)
2
: a former member of the armed forces especially during wartime
veteran adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on veteran

Nglish: Translation of veteran for Spanish Speakers

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