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

And volunteer to own the unasked question from the rollout room, the reskilling plan, the apprenticeship problem, because the person who owns that question never shows up on the spreadsheet as a cost. — Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

They're often introduced to Snap-on tools while in technical school or during apprenticeships. — Scott Horsley, NPR, 17 July 2026

Expanding workforce training and apprenticeship opportunities for potentially thousands of local workers is also planned, the company said in a statement. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 17 July 2026

The apprenticeship can also accommodate only about 20 trainees at a time, compared with roughly 400 simultaneously at Hanwha’s facilities in South Korea. — Preston Fore, Fortune, 16 July 2026

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