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ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Inveterate

/ɪnˈvɛtəɹɪt/ · adjective

Meaning

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

Definitions by Sense

  1. Firmly established from having been around for a long time; of long standing.
  2. (of a person) Having had a habit (usually a bad habit) for a long time.
  3. Malignant; virulent; spiteful.
  4. (obsolete) To fix and settle after a long time; to entrench.

Example Sentences

Near-synonyms: deep-rooted, ingrained, ineradicable, indelible, radicated, chronic, permanent
an inveterate disease
an inveterate habit
a Heaven's radiance of justice, prophetic, clearly of Heaven, discernible behind all these confused worldwide entanglements, of Landlord interests, Manufacturing interests, Tory-Whig interests, and who knows what other interests, expediencies, vested interests, established possessions, inveterate Dilettantisms, Midas-eared Mammonism.
In Montpelier, where this prison stands, the inveterate prejudice against prisoners has been swept away.
Near-synonyms: hardened, chronic, dyed-in-the-wool
an inveterate idler;   an inveterate gambler;   an inveterate smoker
an inveterate traveller

Synonyms for inveterate

bred-in-the-bonedeep-rooteddeep-seateddyed-in-the-woolingrainedinveteratelong-standingradicatedineradicableindeliblechronicpermanenthardenedhabitualconfirmed

Antonyms for inveterate

casualtransienttemporarymomentaryfleetingimpermanentshiftingacutenovelsometimeoccasionaldilettante

Related Words

chronicconfirmedhabitualaddictedlong-standinglastingpersistivetime-honoredstillperpetuallobduratevetustperpetuateeviternalcenturies-longlong in the toothindesinenteternizedstedfasthabituall

Word Forms

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does inveterate mean?

Inveterate means Firmly established from having been around for a long time; of long standing..

What is a synonym for inveterate?

Common synonyms include bred-in-the-bone, deep-rooted, deep-seated, dyed-in-the-wool.

What is the opposite of inveterate?

Possible antonyms include casual, transient, temporary, momentary.

How do you use inveterate in a sentence?

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

Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.