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inveterate
adjective
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The History of Inveterate
Despite how it may seem at first glance, inveterate has nothing to do with lacking a spine. That’s invertebrate, which came into English in the early 19th century from New Latin, the Latin vocabulary used in scientific description and classification. Inveterate, on the other hand, is a true veteran of the English language, with a membership card dating to the 15th century. Like veteran, inveterate ultimately comes from the Latin adjective vetus, which means "old." (In times past, inveterate had among its meanings "old.") The more direct source of inveterate, however, is the Latin adjective inveteratus, with which it shares the meaning "firmly established by long persistence." Today inveterate most often describes someone who so frequently or invariably engages in a particular habit or attitude as to be regularly identified with that habit or attitude, as when political columnist Jamelle Bouie observed "The truth is that our best presidents—or at least our most successful ones—have been inveterate flip-floppers, willing to break from unpopular positions, move with political winds, and adjust to new complications."
Synonyms
inveterate, confirmed, chronic mean firmly established.
inveterate applies to a habit, attitude, or feeling of such long existence as to be practically ineradicable or unalterable.
confirmed implies a growing stronger and firmer with time so as to resist change or reform.
chronic suggests something that is persistent or endlessly recurrent and troublesome.
Examples of inveterate in a Sentence
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'inveterate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Inveterate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inveterate. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
inveterate
adjectiveMedical Definition
inveterate
adjectiveMore from Merriam-Webster on inveterate
Nglish: Translation of inveterate for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of inveterate for Arabic Speakers
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