apprenticeship

noun

ap·​pren·​tice·​ship ə-ˈpren-tə(sh)-ˌship 

ə-ˈpren-təs-ˌship

1

: a position as an apprentice : an arrangement in which someone learns an art, trade, or job under another

He obtained an apprenticeship with a carpenter.

Later that year, he decided to become a barrister—a career that requires acceptance into an apprenticeship …

—Sidney Blumenthal

2

: the period of time when a person is an apprentice

During most of his apprenticeship he lived in Paris …

—Robert Penn Warren

a two-year apprenticeship

Synonyms of apprenticeship

• internship
• training

Examples of apprenticeship in a Sentence

only after long apprenticeship as a camera operator was he appointed director of photography on a major motion picture

Recent Examples on the Web

Wilkens didn’t know it as a young man, but his time spent observing Mullaney was an apprenticeship that would serve him well later in life. —Joe Vardon, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025

The job generally requires only a high school diploma, often with an apprenticeship. —Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 9 Nov. 2025

The reality star has been studying through an apprenticeship program in California and was inspired to pursue a career in the legal field, focusing on criminal justice reform. —Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 8 Nov. 2025

In the capital, Watanabe deepened his sushi chef training with a six-year apprenticeship at Shige Sushi in Carmichael, which closed in 2023. —Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 7 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1592, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for apprenticeship

• associateship
• bipartisanship
• conservatorship
• distributorship
• proprietorship
• secretaryship
• airship
• airstrip
• clerkship
• courtship
• equip
• filmstrip

Kids Definition

apprenticeship

noun

ap·​pren·​tice·​ship

ə-ˈprent-əs-ˌship

1

: service as an apprentice

2

: the period during which a person serves as an apprentice