apprentice

American  

[uh-pren-tis] / əˈprɛn tɪs /

noun

1. a person who works for another in order to learn a trade.

   an apprentice to a plumber.

2. History/Historical. a person legally bound through indenture to a master craftsman in order to learn a trade.

3. a learner; novice; tyro.

4. U.S. Navy. an enlisted person receiving specialized training.

5. a jockey with less than one year's experience who has won fewer than 40 races.

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verb (used with object)

apprenticed, apprenticing

1. to bind to or place with an employer, master craftsman, or the like, for instruction in a trade.

verb (used without object)

apprenticed, apprenticing

1. to serve as an apprentice.

   He apprenticed for 14 years under a master silversmith.

apprentice British  

/ əˈprɛntɪs /

noun

1. someone who works for a skilled or qualified person in order to learn a trade or profession, esp for a recognized period

2. any beginner or novice

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verb

1. (tr) to take, place, or bind as an apprentice

Other Word Forms

• apprenticeship
  noun
• unapprenticed
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of apprentice

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English ap(p)rentis, from Anglo-French, Old French ap(p)rentiz, from unattested Vulgar Latin apprenditīcius, equivalent to unattested apprendit(us) (for Latin apprehēnsus; see apprehensible) + Latin -īcius suffix forming adjectives from past participles, here nominalized

Explanation

An apprentice is someone who learns a trade. An apprentice farmer is paid very little but has the chance to learn farming by watching and doing. In the old days, becoming an apprentice was the only way to get into many lines of work. Nowadays we think of it more in terms of trades — butchers, bakers, bricklayers, etc. If you do the same thing in an office setting, it's usually called an internship, but the idea is the same — learning by watching an expert. The word can be used as either a noun or verb: You are an apprentice, but you also can apprentice to the barber down the street.

Example Sentences

Alongside her career as a football executive, Brady has spent 16 years as Lord Alan Sugar's assistant on BBC show The Apprentice and entered the House of Lords as a life peer in 2014.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026

And on the 23rd day of war, Iran mocked the president of the United States using the tagline from The Apprentice.

From Slate • Mar. 26, 2026

The show will include performances from Lewis Capaldi, McFly's Tom Fletcher and his son Buzz, and Eurovision contestants Remember Monday, plus sketches from popular BBC shows including Strictly Come Dancing, The Apprentice and Gladiators.

From BBC • Nov. 14, 2025

And in the end, it was former Apprentice star Thomas Skinner who left the show, after judges voted to save former England rugby captain Chris Robshaw.

From BBC • Oct. 5, 2025

“He was the Apprentice Librarian,” Tanin said, her voice hardening.

From "The Reader" by Traci Chee

Related Words

• pupil