internship
Americannoun
-
the state or condition of being an intern.
-
the period during which a person serves as an intern.
-
any official or formal program to provide practical experience for beginners in an occupation or profession.
an internship for management trainees.
-
a position as a participant in such a program.
She has accepted an internship in a law firm.
-
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
Unit 3: Compelling Evidence
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Unit 3: Compelling Evidence
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
To All the Boys I've Loved Before
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
At a TV internship in Boston last summer, she said she was the only one who wasn’t experienced reading from a teleprompter.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 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
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
Ms. Sandnes, who was now doing her master’s internship at the home’s therapy department, dropped me off.
From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter
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.
