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.

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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

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journeyman Cultural  

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

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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

They acquired journeyman backstop Ben Rortvedt from the Mets for right-hander Chayce McDermott, a person with knowledge of the situation who wasn’t authorized to speak publicly confirmed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 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

He joins others who were in danger of acquiring the journeyman tag before their 23rd birthday.

From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026

With Smith injured, the Dodgers first tried and then cut minor league journeyman Chuckie Robinson at backup catcher.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026

While on the march she met Cyril Pustan, an Englishman who was a high school teacher and journeyman plumber.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

The Bradford-born winger, 36, is one of football's ultimate journeymen.

From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026

“They framed the whole house, and the garage, in three days. Thirty journeymen framers. Because of her,” said Koerner, his voice breaking as he recalled the house-raising that began in mid-July.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2025

And neither were most of the guys in the D-backs’ bullpen, which is a mixture of castaways, journeymen and youngsters.

From Washington Times ● Oct. 12, 2023

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