entrenched

Meaning 1: General

Establish an attitude, habit, or belief so firmly that changing it is extremely difficult.

Examples

• The new regulations have become firmly entrenched in the company's daily operations.
• Old prejudices are often deeply entrenched in society and take generations to overcome.

Meaning 2: Military

To surround or protect with a trench or defensive fortifications.

Examples

• The soldiers worked through the night to entrench their positions before the dawn attack.
• The infantry entrenched themselves along the ridge to hold the high ground.

Pronunciation: /ɪnˈtrɛntʃ/

How to Use entrenched

entrench oneself (collocation)

To establish oneself firmly in a position or place. — "He managed to entrench himself in the department so effectively that he became indispensable."

be entrenched in (prepositional phrase)

To be firmly fixed within a specific system or location. — "The company's outdated policies are still entrenched in the corporate culture."

Synonyms of entrenched

Words with a similar meaning to entrenched:

• fix
• ingrain
• embed
• root

Antonyms of entrenched

Words with the opposite meaning to entrenched:

• uproot