WordWealth: inveterate

in·vet·er·ate , adj.

It started with an occasional cigarette in college, but by her late twenties, Lilly was an inveterate smoker. ——  Merriam-Webster

He is an inveterate nibbler, popping nuts and chocolate into his mouth as he talks, leaning forward in his chair to forage in the tins with his right hand. —— Michael Ignatieff in Isaiah Berlin: A Life

The crowds have now trickled back. At least a part of LA's inveterate shopping class – toes all manicured and sunglasses neatly propped just above the hairline – is out again, chatting in the shopping centre cafés about clothing styles and boyfriends as if nothing ever happened. But the signs of unease are clearly on display, from the "Let Freedom Ring" placards in empty mall corridors to the 40 per cent discount tags in the leather coat shops. —— Andrew Gumbel; America's City of Angels Haunted by Visions of the Apocalypse; Independent; Oct 20, 2001

Somalis are known for being inveterate traders and the refugees are no exception.--Inside the camp there are markets where vegetables, rolls of cloth, goat and camel's milk are sold. —— Somali Refugees Face Bleak Future; BBC; Jan 2, 2000

Richard was a superstar precisely because he was an absentee warrior king. He had the dash and flair to risk all on the most slender of odds. He was prepared to bury the hatchet and put his faith in even his most inveterate enemies and he understood that in the realpolitik of the day, you had to give in order to receive. He also left the administration of England to his subordinates, removing himself from their more unpopular measures. —— Dr Mike Ibeji; Monarchs and Leaders - King John; BBC - History

Gordy was always -- and probably foremost -- a businessman. He built a company to create, make and then sell its product as widely as possible, and at every step along the way his intention was to control the process. His commitment to promoting black cultural expression never interfered with his eagerness to maximize profits. Thus the sale of Motown for $61 million prompted Gordy, an inveterate high-stakes gambler, to boast: ''From $800 to $61 million. I had done it. I had won the poker hand.'' Despite claims that the company's move to Los Angeles in the 1970's and its sale in 1988 betrayed Motown's original commitment to black America, it was always the case that Gordy's drive was for success and recognition. —— Nick Salvatore; Dancing in the Streets; The New York Times; Jan 12, 2003

Did you know? (Merriam-Webster)
Like "veteran," "inveterate" ultimately comes from Latin "vetus," which means "old" and which led to the Latin verb "inveterare" ("to age"). That verb in turn gave rise eventually to the adjective "inveteratus," the direct source of our adjective "inveterate" (in use since the 14th century). In the past, "inveterate" has meant "long-standing" or simply "old." For example, one 16th-century writer warned of "Those great Flyes which in the springe time of the yeare creepe out of inveterate walls." Today, "inveterate" most often applies to a habit, attitude, or feeling of such long existence that it is practically ineradicable or unalterable.

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