intern

¹

Sometimes in·terne

[in-turn]

noun

1. a resident member of the medical staff of a hospital, usually a recent medical school graduate serving under supervision.

2. Education.,  student teacher.

3. a person who works as an apprentice or trainee in an occupation or profession to gain practical experience, and sometimes also to satisfy legal or other requirements for being licensed or accepted professionally.

verb (used without object)

interned, interning 

1. to be or perform the duties of an intern.

intern

²

[in-turn, in-turn]

verb (used with object)

1. to restrict to or confine within prescribed limits, as prisoners of war, enemy aliens, or combat troops who take refuge in a neutral country.

2. to impound or hold within a country until the termination of a war, as a ship of a belligerent that has put into a neutral port and remained beyond a limited period.

noun

1. a person who is or has been interned; internee.

intern

³

[in-turn]

adjective

Archaic.

1. internal.

intern

verb

1. (tr) to detain or confine (foreign or enemy citizens, ships, etc), esp during wartime

2. (intr) to serve or train as an intern

noun

1. another word for internee

2. Also: interne. British equivalent: house officer. med a graduate in the first year of practical training after medical school, resident in a hospital and under supervision by senior doctors

3. a student teacher

4. a student or recent graduate receiving practical training in a working environment

adjective

1. an archaic word for internal

Word History and Origins

Origin of intern¹

First recorded in 1825–30 intern ¹ for def. 1, and in 1920–25 intern ¹ for defs. 2, 3; from French interne “assistant doctor,” from Latin internus “inward”; intern ³

Origin of intern²

First recorded in 1865–70; from French interner “to send inland; confine,” verbal derivative of interne intern ³

Origin of intern³

First recorded in 1570–80; from Latin internus “inward,” equivalent to inter- inter- + -nus adjective suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of intern¹

C19: from Latin internus internal

Example Sentences

Mason hired Bowden as a student intern, helping out with Cincinnati’s recruiting.

From Los Angeles Times

At both lakes, students who’ve gone through the program have become interns and volunteers.

From Los Angeles Times

That’s why some have begun to speculate that the first lady’s letter might have been written not by a White House staffer or intern, but by a generative AI program like ChatGPT.

From Salon

He also mentioned other federal government employees and elected officials who have been attacked, including a Democratic lawmaker and an intern.

From BBC

Last year there were about 450 interns, including 125 from lower socio-economic backgrounds, selected from 4,200 applicants, according to government figures.

From BBC

Related Words

• doctor 
• resident 
• student 
• trainee