journeyman

noun

jour·ney·man ˈjər-nē-mən

: a worker who has learned a trade and works for another person usually by the day compare apprentice entry 1 sense 1b, master entry 1 sense 1c

: an experienced reliable worker, athlete, or performer especially as distinguished from one who is brilliant or colorful

a good journeyman trumpeter—

New Yorker

a journeyman outfielder

Did you know?

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

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Spectral Evolution After years as a space-gazing electroacoustic journeyman, Portuguese soundscapist Rafael Toral tamed his arsenal of homemade noisemakers and reinvented the blissful, slow-motion drone music of his past. —

Pitchfork, 3 Dec. 2024 While his former doubles partner was still winning big, Murray had to get used to life as a journeyman in a second life after hip surgery took away his ability to compete at the business end of Slams. —

Tim Ellis, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2024 The 27-year-old G League journeyman has found prosperity with one of Denver’s Western Conference foes. —

Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 24 Nov. 2024 The backup is 38-year-old journeyman Josh Johnson, who has not started a game since filling in for an injured Jackson in a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in 2021. —

C.j. Doon, Baltimore Sun, 24 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for journeyman