journeyman
noun
New Yorker
Did you know?
The journey in journeyman refers to a sense of the familiar word not often used anymore: "a day's labor." This sense of journey was first used in the 14th century. When journeyman appeared the following century, it originally referred to a person who, having learned a handicraft or trade through an apprenticeship, worked for daily wages. In the 16th century, journeyman picked up a figurative (and mainly deprecatory) sense; namely, "one who drudges for another." These days, however, journeyman has little to do with drudgery, and lots to do with knowing a trade inside out.
Examples of journeyman in a Sentence
Sylvana Quader Sinha,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
Greer went from a journeyman to a key cog in Florida’s bottom six during the Panthers’ 2025 Stanley Cup run.
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Peter Baugh,
New York Times,
22 June 2026
While young folks know Jalen as the Knicks all-star who just led the team to its first title in a half-century, old heads remember his pops, Rick, as an NBA journeyman who played nine seasons in the association — including portions of three campaigns in New York.
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Matt Nighswander,
NBC news,
18 June 2026
Neither of the two catchers currently playing at Triple-A Oklahoma City – journeymen Eliezer Alfonzo and Chuckie Robinson – are on the Dodgers’ 40-man roster, meaning a promotion would come with an extra layer of moves to get either of them on the active roster.
—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for journeyman
Cite this Entry
“Journeyman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/journeyman. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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journeyman
noun
