journeyman

American  

[jur-nee-muhn] / ˈdʒɜr ni mən /

noun

• journeymen
  plural

1. a person who has served an apprenticeship at a trade or handicraft and is certified to work at it assisting or under another person.

2. any experienced, competent but routine worker or performer.

3. a person hired to do work for another, usually for a day at a time.

---

journeyman British  

/ ˈdʒɜːnɪmən /

noun

1. a craftsman, artisan, etc, who is qualified to work at his trade in the employment of another

2. a competent workman

3. (formerly) a worker hired on a daily wage

---

journeyman Cultural  

1. A skilled artisan who works on hire for master artisans rather than for himself.

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• journeymen
  plural

Etymology

Origin of journeyman

1425–75; late Middle English journeman, equivalent to journee a day's work ( see journey) + man man

Explanation

A journeyman is someone who's advanced beyond being an apprentice, but who works for someone else. A journeyman who works for a stone mason is fairly experienced at masonry. If you're a journeyman, you're a person who is skilled at a trade or a craft, possibly one who began as an apprentice to an experienced artisan or worker. As a journeyman, a glassblower or stone carver or carpenter has enough skill to do the job well, but hasn't gone into business for herself yet. Journeyman comes from the Vulgar Latin root of journey, diurnum, "day," and man, "person."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

journeyman journeymen

Chicago has enjoyed good health and added journeyman outfielder Tommy Pham from the Phillies on Aug. 31.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026

On Wednesday, Fury, who defeated journeyman Mariusz Wach last month to keep the potential blockbuster clash with Joshua on track, said negotiations over the fight were becoming "quite tiring".

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

Mr. Futterman’s focus on superstars will leave some readers wishing he’d chronicled the occasional journeyman trying to scrape out wins and paychecks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026

Lauer reflected on his experience as a first-round pick turned journeyman who went to South Korea to revive his career.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026

“Kilvin approved my sympathy lamp. You’re looking at the Arcanum’s newest journeyman artificer,” I said a little smugly.

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss

The couple met while living in an apartment building filled with other journeymen actors in the late 1970s.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026

Tortorella is one of the best-traveled journeymen in North American hockey.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026

"Even experienced journeymen know how to take a shot, run the clock down. Jake doesn't have that experience," Woodhall says.

From BBC ● Dec. 18, 2025

The 27-year-old Paul is a YouTube star who has forged a successful prizefighting career mostly by taking on mixed martial artists and journeymen boxers.

From Seattle Times ● May 31, 2024

He would take it out of the pocket where he always kept it, with a flourish, display it to the sickening curiousity of the master, apprentices, journeymen, lady customers.

From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes