veteran
A veteran (from Latin vetus, meaning “old”) is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; ” A veteran of …” . This page refers to military veterans, i.e., a person who has served or is serving in the armed forces. Those veterans that have had direct exposure to acts of military conflict may also be referred to as war veterans (although not all military conflicts, or areas in which armed combat takes place, are necessarily referred to as wars).
