apprenticeship

noun

ap·​pren·​tice·​ship ə-ˈpren-tə(sh)-ˌship How to pronounce apprenticeship (audio)
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 apprenticeshipSidney 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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Blue collar workers are hitting retirement age, and a trend in recent years toward pushing more students to attend college means that fewer of them are participating in apprenticeship programs or going directly to learn on the job. Cortney Harding, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025 For policymakers, this shift signals the need to support vocational education, and apprenticeship programs. The Hill, 27 June 2025 Festival visitors can meet members of the New Orleans Master Crafts Guild, an apprenticeship program in Louisiana encouraging a new generation of master craftspeople to grow their professions, from carpentry to brick masonry to plaster. Michelle Mehrtens, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 July 2025 Even labor shortages become manageable when builders create joint apprenticeship programs that expand the skilled worker pipeline. Ryan Stroker, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for apprenticeship

Word History

First Known Use

1592, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of apprenticeship was in 1592

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Cite this Entry

“Apprenticeship.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/apprenticeship. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on apprenticeship

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