journeyman

J8O1U1R1N1E1Y4M3A1N1
US/ˈd͡ʒɝnimən/UK/ˈd͡ʒɜːnimən/

noun

A tradesman who has completed an apprenticeship or equivalent educational path in a trade.

“Everyone must follow safety guidelines whether you're an apprentice, journeyman, or even master electrician.”

Similar
craftsman
OriginMiddle English jorneman ← Old French jornee →
Less commonScrabble 22
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Meanings

nounjourneyman (plural journeymen)

plural journeymen

  1. A tradesman who has completed an apprenticeship or equivalent educational path in a trade.

    Everyone must follow safety guidelines whether you're an apprentice, journeyman, or even master electrician.

    2 more examples

    […] toiling away, calm and collected as a journeyman joiner engaged for the year.

    1851 November 14, Herman Melville, “chapter 26”, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC

    As the pressman returns the inkballs to the inkstone, the journeyman closes the frisket and tympan.

    2000, Richard L. Saunders, Printing in Deseret
  2. derogatorysometimesA competent but undistinguished tradesman, especially one who works, and is paid by the day.
  3. hobbiesA player who plays on many different teams during the course of his career.

    The Los Angeles Lakers added journeyman forward Bob McAdoo to their roster in hopes that he could help them win a title.

Synonyms & antonyms

nouna male professional whose work is consistently of high quality

Similar
craftsman
Broader
craftspersonmanadult male
Also see
craftsman

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Old Frenchjornee“a day's work, a journey”
  2. Middle Englishjorneman
  3. Englishjourneyman

From Middle English jorneman; from journe (from Old French jornee (“a day's work, a journey”)) and mon; equivalent to journey + -man.

More words from Middle English, Old French

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian калфа
  • калфа (kalfa)tradesman who has served an apprenticeship
Catalan oficial, fadrí
  • oficialtradesman who has served an apprenticeship
  • fadrítradesman who has served an apprenticeship
  • companyótradesman who has served an apprenticeship
Czech tovaryš
  • tovaryštradesman who has served an apprenticeship
Danish svend
  • svendtradesman who has served an apprenticeship
Dutch gezel
  • gezeltradesman who has served an apprenticeship
Finnish kisälli
  • kisällitradesman who has served an apprenticeship
French compagnon
  • compagnontradesman who has served an apprenticeship
German Geselle
  • Geselletradesman who has served an apprenticeship
Norwegian Bokmål svenn
  • svenntradesman who has served an apprenticeship
Polish czeladnik
  • czeladniktradesman who has served an apprenticeship
Russian подмасте́рье
  • подмасте́рье (podmastérʹje)tradesman who has served an apprenticeship
Spanish oficial
  • oficialtradesman who has served an apprenticeship
Swedish gesäll
  • gesälltradesman who has served an apprenticeship
Turkish kalfa
  • kalfatradesman who has served an apprenticeship
Ukrainian підма́йстер
  • підма́йстер (pidmájster)tradesman who has served an apprenticeship
Yiddish געזעל, פּועל
  • געזעל (gezel)tradesman who has served an apprenticeship
  • פּועל (poyel)tradesman who has served an apprenticeship
Cite this entry
APA

journeyman. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/journeyman

MLA

“journeyman.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/journeyman. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “journeyman,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/journeyman.

Source: journeyman on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.