inveterate
Americanadjective
-
long established, esp so as to be deep-rooted or ingrained
an inveterate feeling of hostility
-
(prenominal) settled or confirmed in a habit or practice, esp a bad one; hardened
an inveterate smoker
-
obsolete full of hatred; hostile
Other Word Forms
- inveteracy noun
- inveterately adverb
- inveterateness noun
Etymology
Origin of inveterate
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin inveterātus (past participle of inveterāre “to grow old, allow to grow old, preserve”), equivalent to in- in- 2 + veter- (stem of vetus “old”) + -ātus -ate 1; veteran
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.
Duer was also an inveterate speculator and get-rich-quick schemer: “king of the alley,” as Thomas Jefferson derisively referred External link to Wall Street.
From Barron's
Duer was also an inveterate speculator and get-rich-quick schemer: “king of the alley,” as Thomas Jefferson derisively referred External link to Wall Street.
From Barron's
The Season 8 finale saw protagonist, narrator and inveterate daydreamer J.D.
From Los Angeles Times
Still, there is irony in Grantham, the inveterate bear, advancing an argument that could turn out to have bullish implications.
From MarketWatch
Turner, an inveterate traveler, was rarely without a sketchbook in hand, and manifold drawings and watercolors, many dating from his continental expeditions, underscore his riveting sense of color and drama in nature.
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.
