inveterate C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities US /ɪnˈvɛtərət/ UK /ɪnˈvɛtərət/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 adj having a long-established and unlikely-to-change habit He was an inveterate gambler who could not resist a wager. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 adj · having a long-established... habitualconfirmedchronicingrainedentrenchedhardeneddyed-in-the-wool ↔ Opposites occasionalsporadic Word family Forms inveterately Derived forms inveteratelyinveteracy Related forms veteran Etymology AI details From Latin inveteratus, past participle of inveterare 'to make old, render long-established', from in- 'in' plus vetus (stem veter-) 'old'. inveterare Latin vetus Latin View etymology graph -> Topics Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # inveterate **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** adj **IPA (US):** /ɪnˈvɛtərət/ **IPA (UK):** /ɪnˈvɛtərət/ ## Meanings 1. having a long-established and unlikely-to-change habit ## Examples - He was an inveterate gambler who could not resist a wager. ## Synonyms - habitual - confirmed - chronic - ingrained - entrenched - hardened - dyed-in-the-wool ## Antonyms - occasional - sporadic ## Derived Forms - inveterately - inveteracy ## Related Forms - veteran ## Roots and Affixes - Root: inveterare - Root: vetus ## Etymology From Latin inveteratus, past participle of inveterare 'to make old, render long-established', from in- 'in' plus vetus (stem veter-) 'old'. ## AI Etymology Inveterate comes from Latin inveteratus, past participle of inveterare 'to make old, render long-established', from in- 'in' plus vetus (stem veter-) 'old'. The form is best read as a historical transfer or inheritance, with its older language material carrying the main semantic load. As an adjective, it carries the sense "having a long-established and unlikely-to-change habit", with the older formation still helping explain the modern use. Relevant historical forms include Latin inveterare and Latin vetus. Derivative forms include inveterately, inveteracy; related words include veteran. ## Topics - Describing Qualities - Word Formation & Derivatives markdown