intern

1 of 4

noun

in·​tern ˈin-ˌtərn How to pronounce intern (audio)
variants or less commonly interne
: an advanced student or graduate usually in a professional field (such as medicine or teaching) gaining supervised practical experience (as in a hospital or classroom)
internship noun

intern

2 of 4

verb (1)

in·​tern ˈin-ˌtərn How to pronounce intern (audio)
interned; interning; interns

intransitive verb

: to work as an intern

intern

3 of 4

verb (2)

interned; interning; interns

transitive verb

: to confine or impound especially during a war
intern enemy aliens
internee noun

intern

4 of 4

adjective

variants or interne
archaic

Examples of intern in a Sentence

Verb (2) some Polish citizens were interned in Russian camps during World War II After medical school, he worked as an intern at the university hospital.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Ellie Yuen Ellie Yuen is an intern on NBC News’s Asia Desk. Peter Guo, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024 Since joining Berger Paints as an intern three decades ago, after business studies in the U.K., Kaur, who took a seven-year break to raise three children, found her niche in product and business development. Rana Wehbe Watson, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
The shooter had interned at the bank for several summers before becoming a full-time employee in 2021, police said. Faris Tanyos, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2023 The assailant had interned at the bank for three summers and been employed there full-time for close to two years, his LinkedIn profile showed. Mark Morales, CNN, 11 Apr. 2023
Adjective
Vivian Casals-Munoz was appointed as an intern council member on Feb. 8, 2022, and the election for that seat was held Nov. 8 of that year. Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 26 June 2024 After the pandemic hit, remote work was discussed frequently in Glassdoor reviews by all types of workers, interns included, but intern sentiment about remote work was much more negative than that among other employees. Cassie Werber, Quartz, 19 Apr. 2022 See all Example Sentences for intern 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French interne, from interne, adjective

Adjective

Middle French interne, from Latin internus

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1879, in the meaning defined above

Verb (1)

circa 1928, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

1866, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

circa 1560, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of intern was circa 1560

Dictionary Entries Near intern

Cite this Entry

“Intern.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intern. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

intern

1 of 3 verb
: to confine especially during a war
interned enemy aliens

intern

2 of 3 noun
in·​tern
variants also interne
ˈin-ˌtərn
: an advanced student or graduate in a special field (as medicine or teaching) who is gaining supervised practical experience (as in a hospital or classroom)

intern

3 of 3 verb
in·​tern ˈin-ˌtərn How to pronounce intern (audio)
: to work as an intern

Medical Definition

intern

1 of 2 noun
in·​tern
variants also interne
: a physician gaining supervised practical experience in a hospital after graduating from medical school

called also houseman

intern

2 of 2 intransitive verb
in·​tern ˈin-ˌtərn How to pronounce intern (audio)
: to act as an intern

More from Merriam-Webster on intern

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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