internship
Americannoun
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the state or condition of being an intern.
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the period during which a person serves as an intern.
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any official or formal program to provide practical experience for beginners in an occupation or profession.
an internship for management trainees.
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a position as a participant in such a program.
She has accepted an internship in a law firm.
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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.
noun
Etymology
Origin of internship
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.
Vocabulary lists containing internship
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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.
According to Handshake’s data, mentions of generative AI have increased five-fold in full-time job descriptions since 2023, and four-fold in internship descriptions.
From MarketWatch • May 5, 2026
The teen's lawyer sought permission from a judge for him to travel to Manila from May 2-25 for an internship, a key requirement for him to graduate.
From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026
After Miller landed a finance internship at a local hospital, he received an abnormal result on a mandatory drug screening that led to a surprising discovery: He had Type 1 diabetes.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026
He organizes speaker panels and other gatherings to network, learn from professionals and gain internship possibilities.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026
It’s the same thing that happened with Camille’s internship.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
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.
