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vétéran

veteran

noun veh-teh-RAHN Rare
People & Society Military

Origin: Latin 'veteranus' (old, experienced)

Usage Note

Vétéran refers both to a military veteran and, more broadly, to anyone with long experience in a field — un vétéran du cinéma (a cinema veteran). The word is the same in masculine and feminine (une vétéran or une vétérane are both used), with no firmly standardised feminine form in everyday speech.

Examples

"Ce vétéran a servi pendant vingt ans."

Natural Translation

This veteran served for twenty years.

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