ap·pren·tice
ə-ˈpren-təs 
often attributive
1
a
: one bound by indenture (see indenture entry 1 sense 1a(3)) to serve another for a prescribed period with a view to learning an art or trade
b
: one who is learning by practical experience under skilled workers a trade, art, or calling
a carpenter's apprentice
compare journeyman sense 1, master entry 1 sense 1c
2
: an inexperienced person : novice
an apprentice in cooking
apprenticed; apprenticing
: to set at work as an apprentice
especially
: to bind to an apprenticeship by contract or indenture
: to serve as an apprentice
Examples of apprentice in a Sentence
Noun
decided to be an apprentice to an electrician after he graduated
aware that she's only an apprentice in the medical field, she readily defers to her more experienced colleagues
Verb
He apprenticed with a master carpenter for two years.
Recent Examples on the Web
Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2025
The dark side is strong here, a current that sweeps around the apprentice, urging him, propelling him.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Oct. 2025
Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 5 Oct. 2025
When Shahn was fifteen, his parents pulled him from school and apprenticed him to a lithographer on the Lower East Side to help support the family.
—Nicole Rudick, The New York Review of Books, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for apprentice
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.
Noun
One of the institution’s main goals moving forward is to open a public apprentice training center in 2025 dedicated to reviving training programs for crafts that have lost their traditional teaching structures.
—Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2025
The dark side is strong here, a current that sweeps around the apprentice, urging him, propelling him.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
Hanton, who apprenticed with bushcraft pioneer Ray Mears at just 16 years old, completed solo Arctic expeditions as a teen.
—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 5 Oct. 2025
When Shahn was fifteen, his parents pulled him from school and apprenticed him to a lithographer on the Lower East Side to help support the family.
—Nicole Rudick, The New York Review of Books, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for apprentice
Cite this Entry
“Apprentice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/apprentice. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
apprentice
1 of 2 noun
ap·pren·tice
ə-ˈprent-əs
: a person who is learning a trade or art by experience under a skilled worker
apprentice
2 of 2 verb
apprenticed; apprenticing
: to set at work as an apprentice
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share