apprenticeship
Americannoun
-
apprenticeships
plural
-
a program or position in which someone learns a trade by working under a certified expert.
The course provides students with a good base for securing apprenticeships in the plumbing and gasfitting industries.
-
the state or position of any learner or novice.
His apprenticeship in political struggle was gained in the Spanish Civil War.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of apprenticeship
Explanation
Apprenticeship is a kind of job training that involves following and studying a master of the trade on the job instead of in school. Carpenters, masons, doctors, and many other professionals often learn their trade through apprenticeship. The word apprenticeship comes from the Old French aprentiz meaning "someone learning" and the Anglian suffix -scip, meaning "state, condition of being." An apprenticeship is when someone is in a state or condition of learning from a master in a field. Some professions even have apprenticeship programs like the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers where you can be assigned to apprentice, or study under a professional electrician.
Vocabulary lists containing apprenticeship
"Creativity at Work" and "The Hidden Secrets of the Creative Mind"
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The State of the Union Address 2015
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Obama's State of the Union Address, 2014
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
She turned down her university offers and took a gap year to find a suitable apprenticeship.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
He is now planning to take on an apprenticeship with a local electrician which he will combine with on-call shifts for Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
She said Medr worked across universities, colleges and apprenticeship providers to try to address the issue.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
We talked about In re Turner pushing back against racialized apprenticeship laws to expand the 13th Amendment and inform the 14th Amendment.
From Slate ● Aug. 10, 2026
He was clearly a junior scythe, just a few years out of apprenticeship, in his early twenties perhaps—still an age where numbering one’s years felt important.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
You can search for apprenticeships on the UK government, Welsh government, Northern Ireland government and apprenticeships.scot websites.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
Meenu Hettigama, 21, from Walsall began a creative media course after leaving school, but soon dropped out and applied for apprenticeships instead.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
People often choose apprenticeships because they know the career they want to pursue, or because they want to gain new skills without studying full-time.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
It is part of a wider package of support for apprenticeships, including funding for apprenticeship training for under-25s and additional support for employers taking on apprentices.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
A representative for the steamfitters and pipefitters union offers information about apprenticeships leading to work that pays between $17 and $29 an hour.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
