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

This is closer to an apprenticeship than a procurement decision, and most enterprises are not set up to do it. — Rohit Kapoor, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2026

Each student will take three majors and then be placed in an apprenticeship with an employer for two years. — Jon Marcus, NPR, 1 Sep. 2026

These apprenticeships allow workers to gain work experience and find jobs in industries that include hospitality, construction and aviation. — Michael Butler, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026

Born in 1937, his life was marked by war, exile, his love for the commoner Sonja, his long apprenticeship as crown prince, and, finally, more than three decades on the throne. — Stefania Conrieri, Vanity Fair, 28 Aug. 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