Is there a difference between "incorrigible" and "inveterate"?

Question

Source: Collins Dictionary

Definitions:

1. incorrigible: not corrigible; that cannot be corrected, improved, or reformed, esp. because firmly established, as a habit, or because set in bad habits, as a child

2. inveterate: firmly established by long continuance, as a disease, habit, practice, feeling, etc.; chronic

Examples:

Incorrigible: I was sent to Hennington Hills as banishment for being an incorrigible youth.

inveterate: Lucien, known as Lucy, is an inveterate liar who isn’t as good at it as he thinks he is.

The only similarity I see between these two words is the notion of someone being forever set in their ways. So what is the difference?

Answer 1

Incorrigible always has a negative connotation. You can't be incorrigible in a good way.

Inveterate doesn't have to be negative. It's most often used to describe a habit or a practice that's repeated so much it's not likely to change. But the habit or practice doesn't have to be bad. For example, you can be an inveterate networker.

That said, nobody will know what you mean if you use inveterate, at least in American English. It's not a commonly used word.