inveterate

/ɪnˈvɛtəɹɪt/

//ɪnˈvɛtəɹɪt// adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"inveterate" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“inveterate” is uncommon English (frequency #63,707 among 17,902 “I” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#63,707
frequency rank, English
17,902
“I” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Firmly established from having been around for a long time; of long standing.

Key facts for inveterate
PropertyValue
Headwordinveterate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɪnˈvɛtəɹɪt/
Letters10
Frequency rank#63,707
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “inveterate” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). inveterate lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

inveterate is uncommon English at frequency #63,707 among 17,902 “I” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ɪnˈvɛtəɹɪt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for inveterate in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: 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)), … The correct English form is inveterate, spelled I-N-V-E-T-E-R-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Firmly established from having been around for a long time; of long standing.
  2. 2
    Having had a habit (usually a bad habit) for a long time.
  3. 3
    Malignant; virulent; spiteful.

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.

Synonyms

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

Antonyms

casualtransient

This word in other languages

empedernido(Español)invétéré(Français)chronisch(Deutsch)inveterado(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "inveterate"?
"inveterate" is spelled I-N-V-E-T-E-R-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˈvɛtəɹɪt/.
What does "inveterate" mean?
As an adjective, "inveterate" means: Firmly established from having been around for a long time; of long standing.
How do you pronounce "inveterate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "inveterate" is /ɪnˈvɛtəɹɪt/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "inveterate"?
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 ... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “inveterate”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is I-N-V-E-T-E-R-A-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ɪnˈvɛtəɹɪt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list