Word a Day
inveterate
What does inveterate mean?
inveterate (adjective): having had a habit (usually a bad habit) for a long time.
Definition: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
How do you pronounce inveterate?
/ɪnˈvɛtəɹət/ (IPA, American English). The app reads every word aloud.
Where does inveterate come from?
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, from in- (“in, into”) + veterō (“to age”).
Etymology: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Test yourself: do you know “inveterate”?
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What does “inveterate” mean?
watchful, especially for danger or disorder; alert; wary
Not quite: that's what vigilant means.
having had a habit (usually a bad habit) for a long time
Right! That's what “inveterate” means.
threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
Not quite: that's what ominous means.
characterized by extreme and often misleading simplicity
Not quite: that's what simplistic means.
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