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

The award included funding to train employees and to develop an apprenticeship program in collaboration with Palomar College. —Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Nov. 2025

And workforce investment, from trade schools to apprenticeships to smarter immigration policy, is the only real answer to the labor shortages that no interest rate cut can fix. —Scott Cannon, Fortune, 24 Nov. 2025

Kardashian began an apprenticeship with a San Francisco law firm in 2019, People magazine previously reported. —Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 21 Nov. 2025

His track record of success with the Patriots, his apprenticeship under Bielema, and his reputation as a leader position him to make an immediate impact. —Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 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