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

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

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

He played in the now-defunct NFL Europe before earning a coaching internship with the Dallas Cowboys.

From Barron's • Feb. 7, 2026

A contact from his time in NFL Europe told him to go buy a shirt as he'd secured him an interview with the Dallas Cowboys, who offered Durde an internship in 2014.

From BBC • Feb. 5, 2026

He had been playing the game for eight years, as long as it took to go to medical school, serve an internship, and complete a residency, but what loomed down the road because of it?

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger