Inveterate

//ɪnˈvɛtəɹɪt// adj, verb

adj, verb ·Common ·High school level

Definitions

Verb
  1. 1
    To fix and settle after a long time; to entrench. obsolete

    ""the vulgar conceived that now there was an end given, and a consummation to superstitious prophecies, the belief of fools, but the talk sometimes of wise men, and to an ancient tacit expectation which had by tradition been infused and inveterated into men's minds.""

Adjective
  1. 1
    Firmly established from having been around for a long time; of long standing.

    "Near-synonyms: deep-rooted, ingrained, ineradicable, indelible, radicated, chronic, permanent"

  2. 2
    Having had a habit (usually a bad habit) for a long time.

    "Near-synonyms: hardened, chronic, dyed-in-the-wool"

  3. 3
    Malignant; virulent; spiteful.

    "A man of mild manners can form no idea of inveterate revenge or cruelty[…]"

Adjective
  1. 1
    habitual wordnet
Adverb
  1. 1
    in a habitual and longstanding manner wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
ingrainedusualchronicdeep-rooteddyed-in-the-woolingrained

Example

More examples

"They overcame many inveterate superstitions."

Etymology

The adjective is first attested in 1528, the verb in 1574; borrowed from Latin inveterātus (“of long standing, chronic”), perfect passive participle of inveterō and participial adjective (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from in- (“in, into”) + veterō (“to age”), from vetus, veteris (“old”). Cognate with Italian inveterato, French invétéré.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.