journeyman
noun
New Yorker
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The journey in journeyman refers to a sense of the familiar word not often used anymore: "a day's labor." This sense of journey was first used in the 14th century. When journeyman appeared the following century, it originally referred to a person who, having learned a handicraft or trade through an apprenticeship, worked for daily wages. In the 16th century, journeyman picked up a figurative (and mainly deprecatory) sense; namely, "one who drudges for another." These days, however, journeyman has little to do with drudgery, and lots to do with knowing a trade inside out.
Examples of journeyman in a Sentence
Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 24 Oct. 2024
The Vikings dealt with losing their starting quarterback, 2024 first round pick JJ McCarthy, to injury on the eve of the new campaign, with journeyman Sam Darnold stepping in admirably and leading them to an undefeated record through five weeks.
—Ben Morse, CNN, 16 Oct. 2024
More:Def Leppard, Journey and Steve Miller romp through five hours of rock sing-alongs
Dave Mason is still moving forward
Despite Mason’s journeyman career playing with musical greats, his personal life often took dark turns.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 10 Sep. 2024
The Seahawks have beaten a rookie quarterback (Bo Nix), a journeyman (Jacoby Brissett) and a backup (Skylar Thompson) to become one of five 3-0 teams.
—Jack Magruder, Forbes, 24 Sep. 2024
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'journeyman.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Journeyman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/journeyman. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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journeyman
noun
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