journeyman

/ˈdʒɜːnimən/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈdʒɜːrnimən/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈjər-nē-mən/ (ame, mw)

journeyman — noun

  • journeymansingular
  • journeymenplural

1. someone who has finished training in a skilled craft and is employed by another

1.名詞B2
釋義

someone who has finished training in a skilled craft and is employed by another person or company, usually after time spent as an apprentice

例句

After five years as an apprentice, Theo qualified as a journeyman electrician and joined a local firm.

qualify as a journeyman + trade name

The furniture workshop hired two journeyman carpenters to help build the custom cabinets.

同義詞
  • craftsman

    broader term for a skilled trade worker; does not specify the apprentice→journeyman→master hierarchy

  • tradesman

    general term for someone in a skilled trade; less specific about training stage

  • artisan

    emphasises handcraft skill; often used for decorative or artistic trades

反義詞
  • apprentice

    a beginner who is still learning the trade

  • master

    an expert who has reached the highest level and may employ others

文法句型

journeyman + noun (trade name)

work as a journeyman

用法筆記

Often used with a trade name: a journeyman plumber / electrician / carpenter. The term comes from the historical system of guilds where a worker advanced from apprentice to journeyman to master.

常見錯誤

❌He started as a journeyman with no training at all.
✅He started as an apprentice with no training at all.
💡A journeyman has already completed training, unlike an apprentice who is still learning.
❌The journeyman owned a chain of repair shops.
✅The master craftsman owned a chain of repair shops.
💡A journeyman works for someone else; a master may own a business.

2. an employee with solid experience who does dependable work but is not exceptiona

2.名詞C1
釋義

an employee with solid experience who does dependable work but is not exceptionally talented or brilliant

例句

Coach Akinwale described the midfielder as a reliable journeyman who rarely made mistakes on the pitch.

reliable journeyman — collocation for steady performers

The publishing house valued Fatima as a journeyman editor who always met her deadlines with solid work.

同義詞
  • professional

    broader term for someone paid to do a job; does not carry the 'competent but not brilliant' nuance

  • workhorse

    informal, emphasises reliability and hard work over brilliance

  • veteran

    emphasises long experience; may imply higher skill than journeyman

反義詞
  • star

    an outstanding performer at the top of their field

  • virtuoso

    someone with exceptional skill or talent

文法句型

a journeyman + noun (role)

describe someone as a journeyman

用法筆記

Common in sports journalism and workplace reviews. Unlike sense 1, this sense does not refer to formal trade qualifications. The word often appears in contrast with brilliant, star, outstanding, or exceptional.

常見錯誤

❌She is a journeyman researcher who won the Nobel Prize.
✅She is a brilliant researcher who won the Nobel Prize.
💡Journeyman implies solid but not top-level work; it would not describe a prize-winner.
❌I am just a journeyman, which means I have no skills.
✅I am a journeyman, which means I am competent but not exceptional.
💡Journeyman is not an insult; it describes reliable, solid ability.