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

Applications to apprenticeship programs have jumped 70% since 2022, Andrews said. —Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 8 Mar. 2026

McKinsey was, at the time, the default apprenticeship for Rhodes Scholars who wished to learn the ways of the private sector. —Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026

This latest initiative will scale City Colleges’ training capacity, increase access to clinical rotations with apprenticeships, and coordinate hiring with health care employers to ensure graduates’ first jobs. —Darcel Rockett, Chicago Tribune, 2 Mar. 2026

Modernizing federal workforce systems, expanding apprenticeships, strengthening education-industry partnerships and increasing labor force participation must be national priorities. —Jeffrey Ball, Oc Register, 2 Mar. 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