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

Funds in the accounts can be used for a variety of qualifying educational expenses including tuition at colleges and trade schools as well as qualifying professional apprenticeships. — Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2026

Beyond apprenticeships, the mayor’s childcare office is weighing opportunities for assistant teachers to become lead teachers, and partnerships with CUNY and other higher education institutions on more traditional models. — Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 2 Oct. 2026

Most high school guidance counselors promote four-year college degrees over trade apprenticeships because the former were traditionally viewed as the route to stable, high-paying jobs. — Diane Brady, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2026

The twentieth century industrialized advisory through hordes of ambitious young graduates and an apprenticeship model that allowed advice to be sold by those with much less viabexperience. — Albert Mikkelsen, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 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