journeyman

[ jur-nee-muhn ]

/ ˈdʒɜr ni mən /

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See synonyms for journeyman on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural jour·ney·men.

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

any experienced, competent but routine worker or performer.

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

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of journeyman

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use journeyman in a sentence

For Future Islands, a trio of indie rock journeymen from North Carolina, it was a potential game changer.
Future Islands Frontman Samuel T. Herring on Their 11-Year Journey to Letterman and Viral Stardom|Marlow Stern|April 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Still, Hanks aside, none of those actors really carry enough star power for Broadway journeymen to cry foul this year.
The Outsider’s Guide to the 2013 Tony Nominations|Kevin Fallon|April 30, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The members included Apprentices and Journeymen as well as Masters.
The Influence and Development of English Gilds|Francis Aiden Hibbert
The proportion of journeymen to apprentices was regulated: there were to be three apprentices to one journeyman.
The Influence and Development of English Gilds|Francis Aiden Hibbert

A few years later a statute made in the masters' interests fixed the maximum for the wages of the London journeymen tailors at 2s.
The Political History of England - Vol. X.|William Hunt
They were in turn apprentices and journeymen, and finally attained to the full dignity of masters of their own estates.
The Scandinavian Element in the United States|Kendric Charles Babcock
As the first of Nature's journeymen, he made men rather badly, with closed eyes and motionless feet.
Myth, Ritual, and Religion, Vol. 1|Andrew Lang

British Dictionary definitions for journeyman

journeyman

/ (ˈdʒɜːnɪmən) /

noun plural -men

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

a competent workman

(formerly) a worker hired on a daily wage

Word Origin for journeyman

C15: from journey (in obsolete sense: a day's work) + man

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for journeyman

journeyman

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

journeyman

Origin of journeyman

Words related to journeyman

How to use journeyman in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for journeyman

Word Origin for journeyman

Cultural definitions for journeyman