apprentice

American  

[uh-pren-tis] / əˈprɛn tɪs /

noun

apprentices plural

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)

apprentices, present (3rd person singular) apprenticed, past participle, past apprenticing present participle

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

verb (used without object)

apprentices, present (3rd person singular) apprenticed, past participle, past apprenticing present participle

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

Derived Forms

• apprenticeship
  noun
• unapprenticed
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• apprentices
  plural

Participles

• apprenticing
  present
• apprenticed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• apprentice
  simple
• apprentices
  simple
• have apprenticed
  perfect
• has apprenticed
  perfect
• am apprenticing
  progressive
• are apprenticing
  progressive
• is apprenticing
  progressive
• have been apprenticing
  perfect progressive
• has been apprenticing
  perfect progressive

Past

• apprenticed
  simple
• had apprenticed
  perfect
• was apprenticing
  progressive
• were apprenticing
  progressive
• had been apprenticing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will apprentice
  simple
• will have apprenticed
  perfect
• will be apprenticing
  progressive
• will have been apprenticing
  perfect progressive

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

Vance told Fox News -- a joking nod to Trump, who once hosted the reality TV competition show "The Apprentice."

From Barron's • Jun. 18, 2026

Baroness Brady has been a member of the House of Lords since 2014 and has served as one of Lord Sugar's assistants on The Apprentice for 16 years.

From BBC • Jun. 12, 2026

In 2008, he spoke to Stern again about Simpson, saying he wanted to put him on The Apprentice.

From Slate • Jun. 11, 2026

The situation increasingly resembles an episode from The Apprentice, the blockbuster reality show that made Trump a TV star and helped pave his way to the presidency.

From Barron's • May 19, 2026

The order was composed of five divisions, each with a Master and an Apprentice, and a Director to lead them all.

From "The Reader" by Traci Chee

Related Words

• pupil