entrenched

[ en-trencht ]

adjective

1. firmly or solidly established; placed in a position of strength:

   One of the most firmly entrenched ideas of masculinity is that men don't cry.

2. surrounded by trenches dug for defensive purposes:

   Government troops had finally been forced to abandon their entrenched positions, making them vulnerable to ground attack.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of entrench ( def ).

Other Words From

• un·en·trenched adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of entrenched¹

entrench ( def ) + -ed ²( def )

Example Sentences

“We are prepared for the onslaught from entrenched interests in Washington,” they write.

From New York Times

The government argued that those deals entrenched Google’s power, guaranteeing that its search traffic was robust.

From New York Times

This difference is despite seven decades of affirmative action, India's caste system - a four-fold hierarchy of the Hindu religion - remains deeply entrenched.

From BBC

When he transferred to USC this past January, he stepped into a locker room that already had an entrenched leader at quarterback in Miller Moss.

From Los Angeles Times

"And partly because it's entrenched and it's something they've always done."

From BBC

Related Words

• rooted