Veteran
What it means
Having extensive experience and proven skill in an activity.
Reach for it when describing someone whose long practical experience has produced reliable skill
A veteran nurse calmly organized the crowded vaccination clinic.
Words to choose between 6
| playful | |
|---|---|
| everyday | |
| warm | |
| professional |
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| formal |
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playful
Fits when performance under severe pressure is established
Careful The martial image overdramatizes routine work.
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everyday
Fits when substantial prior practice is the simple claim
Careful Experience can accumulate without high skill.
-
warm
Fits when repeated challenges have developed judgment
Careful Seasoned is figurative and slightly informal.
-
professional
long-serving
Fits when duration of service deserves recognition
Careful Long service does not prove broad expertise.
-
professional
senior
Fits when role level and responsibility are relevant
Careful Seniority may be organizational rather than experiential.
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formal
practiced
Fits when repeated use makes performance fluent
Careful Practiced can describe a manner that seems rehearsed.
Opposites 3
- novice
- inexperienced
- unseasoned
Common phrases 3
-
veteran teacher
A veteran teacher recognized when silence meant thought rather than confusion.
-
veteran campaigner
The veteran campaigner kept volunteers focused after the setback.
-
veteran performer
A veteran performer adjusted smoothly when the microphone failed.
Usage notes
Keep in mind
Veteran can also mean a former service member; provide context when the military reading is possible.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Vealhurl, Southern England accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Updated