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Vacillate vs Inveterate - What's the difference?

vacillate | inveterate |

As verbs the difference between vacillate and inveterate

is that vacillate is to sway unsteadily from one side to the other; oscillate while inveterate is (obsolete) to fix and settle by long continuance; to entrench.

As an adjective inveterate is

old; firmly established by long continuance; of long standing; obstinately deep-rooted; as, an inveterate disease; an inveterate habit.

vacillate

English

Verb

(vacillat)
  • To sway unsteadily from one side to the other; oscillate.
  • * 1910:
    • Its [the barometer's] normal register in the Paumotus [the Tuamotus] was 29.90, and it was quite customary to see it vacillate between 29.85 and 30.00, or even 30.05; [...]
  • To swing indecisively from one course of action or opinion to another.
  • * 2004: , Character: Profiles in Presidential Courage
    • On the streets of Berlin, Ruth and her compatriots vacillated "between hope and despair."

    Synonyms

    * (to sway from one side to the other) stagger * (to swing indecisively) blow hot and cold, waffle

    Related terms

    * vacillant * vacillating * vacillation * vacillator * vacillatory

    External links

    * * *

    Anagrams

    * ----

    inveterate

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Old; firmly established by long continuance; of long standing; obstinately deep-rooted; as, an inveterate disease; an inveterate habit.
  • * 1843 , , book 1, ch. 3, "Manchester Insurrection":
    • a Heaven's radiance of justice, prophetic, clearly of Heaven, discernible behind all these confused worldwide entanglements, of Landlord interests, Manufacturing interests, Tory-Whig interests, and who knows what other interests, expediencies, vested interests, established possessions, inveterate Dilettantisms, Midas-eared Mammonism.
  • * 1911 , Morrison I. Swift, "Humanizing the Prisons," The Atlantic :
    • In Montpelier, where this prison stands, the inveterate prejudice against prisoners has been swept away.
  • (of a person) Having habits fixed by long continuance; confirmed; habitual; as, an inveterate idler or smoker.
  • * 1868 , , Little Women , ch. 45:
    • [S]he offered kisses to a stranger so confidingly that the most inveterate bachelor relented.
  • Malignant; virulent; spiteful.
  • * 1748 , , Enquiries concerning the human understanding and concerning the principles of morals , London: Oxford University Press, 1973. ยง 15:
    • A man of mild manners can form no idea of inveterate revenge or cruelty

    Synonyms

    * deep-rooted * ingrained * ineradicable * radicated

    Antonyms

    * casual

    Verb

    (inveterat)
  • (obsolete) To fix and settle by long continuance; to entrench.
  • * 1622 , , The History of the Raigne of King Henry the Seventh :
    • "the vulgar conceived that now there was an end given, and a consummation to superstitious prophecies, the belief of fools, but the talk sometimes of wise men, and to an ancient tacit expectation which had by tradition been infused and inveterated into men's minds."
  • * 1640 , Edward Dacres, translation of The Prince by , Chapter XIX [http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/15772]:
    • "none of these Princes do use to maintaine any armies together, which are annex'd and inveterated with the governments of the provinces, as were the armies of the Roman Empire. "
  • * 1851 January, author unknown, "The Philosophy of the American Union, in The United States Magazine and Democratic Review , page 16:
    • "The foregoing elements of disunion are inveterated by the constituent formation of our national legislature. In the French chambers the members are all Frenchmen ; but our members of Congress are effectively Georgians, New-Yorkers, Carolinians, Pennsylvanians, &c."

    Derived terms

    * inveteration

    References

    * * ----