inveteracy: Meaning and Definition of

in•vet•er•a•cy

Pronunciation: (in-vet'ur-u-sē), [key]
— n.
  1. the quality or state of being inveterate or deeply ingrained: the inveteracy of people's prejudices.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.