apprentice

American  

[uh-pren-tis] / əˈprɛn tɪs /

noun

1. a person who works for another in order to learn a trade.

   an apprentice to a plumber.

2. History/Historical. a person legally bound through indenture to a master craftsman in order to learn a trade.

3. a learner; novice; tyro.

4. U.S. Navy. an enlisted person receiving specialized training.

5. a jockey with less than one year's experience who has won fewer than 40 races.

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verb (used with object)

apprenticed, apprenticing

1. to bind to or place with an employer, master craftsman, or the like, for instruction in a trade.

verb (used without object)

apprenticed, apprenticing

1. to serve as an apprentice.

   He apprenticed for 14 years under a master silversmith.

apprentice British  

/ əˈprɛntɪs /

noun

1. someone who works for a skilled or qualified person in order to learn a trade or profession, esp for a recognized period

2. any beginner or novice

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verb

1. (tr) to take, place, or bind as an apprentice

Other Word Forms

• apprenticeship noun
• unapprenticed adjective

Etymology

Origin of apprentice

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English ap(p)rentis, from Anglo-French, Old French ap(p)rentiz, from unattested Vulgar Latin apprenditīcius, equivalent to unattested apprendit(us) (for Latin apprehēnsus; apprehensible ) + Latin -īcius suffix forming adjectives from past participles, here nominalized

Example Sentences

Sparks illuminate the soot-covered studio of Japanese swordsmith Akihira Kawasaki as his apprentice hammers red-hot steel, showcasing a millennium-old craft now enjoying a resurgence in popularity.

From Barron's • Feb. 11, 2026

It was the first skill apprentice artists learned, and its premium on firm contours and clearly defined forms was carried over into painting.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

"An apprentice should be able to do this no problem," he said.

From BBC • Jan. 29, 2026

Living on bread, butter and fruit, she became a stagier or unpaid apprentice at the bakery of Gerard Mulot, a master pâtissier, boulanger and chocolatier.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 8, 2026

So when this tall good-looking young man appeared with apprentice papers from a good firm in Berlin, Father hired him without hesitation.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Related Words

• pupil