| 1. | settled or confirmed in a habit, practice, feeling, or the like: an inveterate gambler. |
| 2. | firmly established by long continuance, as a disease, habit, practice, feeling, etc.; chronic. |

in·vet·er·ate (ĭn-vět'ər-ĭt) adj.
[Middle English, from Latin inveterātus, past participle of inveterārī, to grow old, endure : in-, causative pref.; see in-2 + vetus, veter-, old; see wet-2 in Indo-European roots.] in·vet'er·a·cy (-ər-ə-sē), in·vet'er·ate·ness n., in·vet'er·ate·ly adv. |
inveterate in·vet·er·ate (ĭn-vět'ər-ĭt)
adj.
Firmly and long established; deep-rooted.
Persisting in an ingrained habit; habitual.