Other forms: veterans
A veteran is somebody who has served, especially in a war. A war veteran, veterans' charity, a veteran of three campaigns.
In American usage it means anybody who has served in the forces at all, where British usage leans towards those who saw action, which makes the numbers in the two countries hard to compare. It also means a long-experienced hand at anything. Note the Latin vetus, old.
1nounveteranSomebody who has served in the forces.
“The old veteran wore his medals proudly on Remembrance Day.”
2nounlongA long-experienced hand at something.
“She's a veteran of the newspaper business and has seen every kind of story.”
veteran is a person with long service.
Latin veteranus means old or long-serving, from vetus, old. Inveterate comes from the same age.
Latin
veterānus
Middle French
vétéran
English, today
veteran
Borrowed from Middle French vétéran, from Latin veterānus.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA
Practised in Military & Defence