What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Veteran vs Former - What's the difference?

veteran | former |

As nouns the difference between veteran and former

is that veteran is a person with long experience of a particular activity while former is someone who forms something; a maker; a creator or founder.

As adjectives the difference between veteran and former

is that veteran is having had long experience, practice, or service while former is previous.

As a proper noun Veteran

is a village in Alberta, Canada.

veteran

English

(wikipedia veteran)

Noun

(en noun)
  • A person with long experience of a particular activity.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-22, volume=407, issue=8841, page=70, magazine=(The Economist)
    • , title= Engineers of a different kind , passage=Private-equity nabobs bristle at being dubbed mere financiers.
  • A person who has served in the armed forces, especially an old soldier who has seen long service.

    • Derived terms

    * Veterans Day

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Having had long experience, practice, or service.
  • * Macaulay
    • The insinuating eloquence and delicate flattery of veteran diplomatists and courtiers.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1913, author=
    • , title=Lord Stranleigh Abroad , chapter=4 citation , passage=Nothing could be more business-like than the construction of the stout dams, and nothing more gently rural than the limpid lakes, with the grand old forest trees marshalled round their margins like a veteran army that had marched down to drink, only to be stricken motionless at the water’s edge.}}
  • Of or relating to former members of the military armed forces, especially those who served during wartime.

    • Related terms

    * inveterate

    Anagrams

    * ----

    former

    English

    Alternative forms

    * (l)

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) former, comparative of . Parallel to (m) (via Latin), as comparative form from same Proto-Indo-European root. Related to (m) and (m) (thence (m)), from Proto-Germanic.

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Previous.
  • :
  • *
  • *:At half-past nine on this Saturday evening, the parlour of the Salutation Inn, High Holborn, contained most of its customary visitors.In former days every tavern of repute kept such a room for its own select circle, a club, or society, of habitués, who met every evening, for a pipe and a cheerful glass.
  • (senseid) First of aforementioned two items. Used with the , often without a noun.
  • :
    • Synonyms
    * (previous) anterior, erstwhile, previous, prior, quondam, ex- * See also
    Antonyms
    * latter

    Etymology 2

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Someone who forms something; a maker; a creator or founder.
    • Dave was the former of the company.
  • An object used to form something, such as a template, gauge, or cutting die.
    • ''The brick arch was built using a wooden former .
  • (chiefly, British, used in combinations) Someone in, or of, a certain form (class).
    • ''Fifth-former
    Sixth-former .
    Derived terms
    * pan former

    Statistics

    *

    Anagrams

    * reform ----