veteran
[ˈvɛ.t̬ə.ɹən]noun, adjective
veteran is spelled V-E-T-E-R-A-N: 7 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 16 times per million words in written English, the 5,025th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, veteran means “A person with long experience of a particular activity” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of veteran is veterans.
How many letters and syllables are in veteran?
| Letters | 7: V-E-T-E-R-A-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 16 times per million words; the 5,025th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is veteran?
Veteran appears 16 times per million words in written English, the 5,025th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce veteran?
- /ˈvɛ.tə.ɹən/
- /ˈvɛ.tɹən/
- US [ˈvɛ.t̬ə.ɹən]
Veteran has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-veteran.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of veteran
- veterans plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does veteran mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A person with long experience of a particular activity.
The company's new hires were nervous, but the veterans were self-assured because, as one summarized it, "this isn't our first rodeo."
- 2
A person who has served in the armed forces, especially an old soldier who has seen long service.
We honor veterans and senior citizens with a ten percent discount.
- 3
A group, animal, etc. with long experience of a particular activity.
Their mules were clearly veterans. They seemed to know what to do even better than the teenage farmhand who was driving the team.
adjective
- 1
Having had long experience, practice, or service.
- 2
Of or relating to former members of the military armed forces, especially those who served during wartime.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate veteran?
Wiktionary records one abbreviation of veteran: Vet..
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Veteran in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | vétéran , ancien combattant, ancien soldat |
| German | Veteran , Kriegsveteran |
| Portuguese | veterano |
| Spanish | veterano, lobo de mar , aguerrido , retirado |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does veteran come from?
Borrowed from Middle French vétéran, from Latin veterānus.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).