Vocabulary
Veteran: meaning in service, work, and sports
A former member of the armed forces, an experienced nurse, and a player who has competed for many seasons can all be called a veteran. The sentence tells you which meaning is intended.
Use veteran for military service or substantial experience, and choose clear, respectful language for people and their experience.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
veteran /ˈvɛt.ə.rən/
The short answer
A veteran is a person who has served in the armed forces, or a person with a lot of experience in a job, activity, or sport.
The clinic hired a veteran nurse to guide the new staff members.
Why it works: Veteran describes the nurse's long professional experience. It does not refer to military service here.
5 more examples
-
The museum invited a military veteran to speak about her service.
Military makes the service meaning clear.
Not this:The museum invited
a local historianto speak about the town. What changes: Historian names the speaker's field. Military veteran names prior service in the armed forces. -
After fifteen years in the kitchen, Omar is a veteran chef.
Veteran means that Omar has a great deal of experience as a chef.
Not this:Omar is
a new chefat the restaurant. What changes: New describes a recent role. Veteran describes long experience. -
The veteran reporter checked the facts before the story was published.
The adjective veteran describes experience in reporting.
Not this:
The reporterchecked the facts before the story was published. What changes: Both sentences identify the job. Veteran adds information about experience. -
The team asked its veteran defender to help younger players during practice.
In sports, veteran often means a player with many seasons or competitions behind them.
Not this:The team welcomed
a new defenderduring practice. What changes: New refers to someone recently joining the team. Veteran refers to an experienced player. -
Please ask the speaker how she would like her service to be described.
This respectful question avoids assumptions about a person's history.
Not this:The audience
assumedthat the speaker had served in a particular role. What changes: Assumptions can be wrong. A clear question or confirmed information is more accurate.
Read the full guide
Look at the words around veteran. Armed forces, service, or military usually point to the military meaning. A job title, a team, or years of experience usually point to the experience meaning.
Use veteran for military service
A veteran is commonly a person who has served in the armed forces. If a reader might not understand the context, military veteran makes this meaning direct. The word does not say where, when, or in what role the person served.
The library hosted a conversation with two military veterans.
Use veteran for long experience at work
Veteran can also describe someone with a long history in a job or field. A veteran teacher, engineer, or volunteer has experience that may help them handle familiar tasks. This meaning is about experience, not military service.
The veteran volunteer showed the new group how to organize the supplies.
Recognize the sports meaning
Sports writing often calls an experienced athlete a veteran. A veteran player may know the competition well and may help newer teammates. The word does not set an exact number of years, and it does not mean that every veteran player is older than every new player.
The coach chose a veteran player to lead the warm-up.
Choose respectful, specific language
When military service is relevant, use veteran or military veteran only with confirmed information. You can ask a person how they would like their service mentioned, especially in a profile, introduction, or public event. Avoid guessing from appearance, age, clothing, or a story you heard.
The article identified Maya as a veteran after she confirmed that description.
Choose the meaning from context
A job advertisement asks for a veteran sales manager. Does veteran mean that the job requires military service?
Usually, no. With a job title, veteran normally means an experienced person. The advertisement should state a military requirement clearly if it has one.
Before you go
Remember this
Use veteran for a person who has served in the armed forces or someone with substantial experience. Let the context show which meaning you intend. When you write or speak about a person, use confirmed details and describe their experience with care.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Veteran: meaning in service, work, and sports"
What does veteran mean?
Veteran usually means a person who has served in the armed forces. It can also mean a person with substantial experience in a job, activity, or sport. Use the nearby words to decide which meaning fits.
The museum invited a military veteran to speak about her service.
Does veteran always mean military service?
No. In a phrase such as veteran nurse or veteran journalist, veteran means experienced. Military service is the usual meaning when the sentence mentions the armed forces, service, or a military event.
The museum invited a local historian to speak about the town.
What does veteran player mean?
A veteran player is an experienced athlete, often someone who has played or competed for many seasons. The word does not give an exact age or number of years, so context supplies the detail.
After fifteen years in the kitchen, Omar is a veteran chef.
Is veteran a respectful word?
Veteran is often respectful, especially for someone who has served in the armed forces. Use it when the person has used the term for themselves or when the information is confirmed, and do not make assumptions about their history.
Omar is a new chef at the restaurant.
Can veteran describe someone at work?
Yes. A veteran employee, manager, or nurse has a lot of relevant experience. The word describes experience in the role or field, and it does not by itself say anything about the person's age or military background.
The veteran reporter checked the facts before the story was published.
Questions & comments
Ask about this lesson, share an example, or help another learner.
