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

That may be a tribute to NDiaye’s success in conjuring a world in which knowledge is acquired not through explanation but through a kind of silent apprenticeship. —Kristen Roupenian, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026

Hollywood is an industry built on an apprenticeship model, beginning with time spent as an assistant (or, in previous generations, in the mailroom). —Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 3 Apr. 2026

Site Selection Magazine just ranked Illinois as the best state in the Midwest, and third nationally, for workforce development because of critical investments in higher education, apprenticeships and skill development. —Mark Denzler, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026

The instinct, especially in creative fields built on apprenticeship, is to assume erosion. —Dana Harris-Bridson, IndieWire, 2 Apr. 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