journeyman
noun
New Yorker
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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
Will Sammon, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Making his second consecutive start, the journeyman threw for 350 yards and two scores.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 28 Sep. 2025
Now, he's turned into a journeyman backup.
—Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
Carolina had a kicking competition for the first time in a long while this offseason after the team let Eddy Piñeiro test free agency, and the competition with NFL journeyman Matthew Wright was tight.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 21 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for journeyman
Cite this Entry
“Journeyman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/journeyman. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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journeyman
noun
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