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Military & Defence vocabulary · Ranks & Personnel

Veteran

Meaning in military & defence, with examples

/ˈvetərən/nounCommon term

In military & defence, veteran means: A person who has served in the armed forces, especially for a long time or during a war; also anyone with long experience in a job.

In Turkish: eski asker, emekli asker, gazi

How it is used

In American English a veteran is anyone who has completed military service, whether or not they served in a war; 'vets' for short. Organisations support veterans' health, jobs and housing. In general English 'a veteran journalist' simply means a very experienced one.

Example sentences

  1. The company runs a programme to help veterans find civilian jobs.

  2. Veterans' associations were invited to the ceremony.

Common collocations

  • military veteran
  • veterans' affairs
  • veteran status
  • war veteran
  • dischargeThe official release of a person from military service, at the end of their contract or period of service or for medical or other reasons.
  • reservistA trained person who is not in full-time military service but can be called up when needed, and who usually trains part-time.
  • personnelThe people who work for an organisation, especially the members of the armed forces, as opposed to its equipment.
  • enlistTo join the armed forces voluntarily by signing up for a period of service, usually as a private soldier rather than as an officer.

More terms: Ranks & Personnel

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