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

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Etymology

Origin of journeyman

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

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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

Before his fortuitous discovery, Baker was a baseball afterthought with the Baltimore Orioles, just another faceless journeyman in a league filled with unremarkable relievers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

The 26-year-old guard who is on his fifth team in six seasons credited his journeyman history for helping him get comfortable with a do-it-all role.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

He fears the disappearance of the journeyman experience that a 22-episode network show provided — but he believes streaming offers all manner of opportunities.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026

Next level for R.E.M. is trying to sing the Mike Mills harmonies, and it’s not surprising that Narducy, the man who is the definition of an alt-rock journeyman, is spot on.

From Salon ● Oct. 7, 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 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

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

“Let it be written that henceforth only guild members shall be permitted to name themselves journeymen or masters ... provided the guilds open their rolls to any freedman who can demonstrate the requisite skills.”

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin

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