internship

American  

[in-turn-ship] / ˈɪn tɜrnˌʃɪp /

noun

1. the state or condition of being an intern.

2. the period during which a person serves as an intern.

3. any official or formal program to provide practical experience for beginners in an occupation or profession.

   an internship for management trainees.

4. a position as a participant in such a program.

   She has accepted an internship in a law firm.

5. any period of time during which a beginner acquires experience in an occupation, profession, or pursuit.

   She had a long internship before starting her own recording studio.

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internship British  

/ ˈɪntɜːnʃɪp /

noun

1. the position of being an intern or the period during which a person is an intern

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Etymology

Origin of internship

First recorded in 1900–05; intern ¹ + -ship

Explanation

An internship is a temporary position with an emphasis on on-the-job training rather than merely employment, and it can be paid or unpaid. If you want to go into publishing, you might have to take an internship before you are qualified for an actual job. To intern means "to pass inside something," and when you have an internship, it's like you've temporarily gotten permission to be inside a workplace. If you're just completing your medical training, then the next stage is to get a medical internship, in which you are supervised by more experienced doctors. Sometimes your internship is part of your "residency," your first hospital job.

Example Sentences

He organizes speaker panels and other gatherings to network, learn from professionals and gain internship possibilities.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026

Silva Júnior is the first author of the study, which was conducted during an internship at the University of Tübingen in Germany with a scholarship from FAPESP.

From Science Daily • Mar. 30, 2026

Despite several work experience and internship stints she has so far failed to line up a job for when she graduates from Queen Mary University in London this summer.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

She filled her schedule with a healthcare internship, a research program at New York University, volunteering at a local hospital and running a nonprofit organization—activities that aligned with her interests in biology and computer science.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026

It’s the same thing that happened with Camille’s internship.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller