intern
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a student or recent graduate who works at a job to get experience in their field.
n.a student or recent graduate undergoing supervised practical training in a professional setting.
Simple“She spent her summer working as an intern at a local law firm to learn about the legal system.”
In context“The marketing department hired three interns to assist with the social media campaign during the busy summer season.”
UsageOften used with the preposition 'at' for the company or 'in' for the department.
Synonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
n.a person who is kept in a special prison or camp, especially during a war.
n.a person who is confined or impounded, typically for political or military reasons rather than as a criminal punishment.
Simple“The government released several interns who had been held in the camp since the start of the conflict.”
In context“International observers were finally granted access to the facility to inspect the living conditions of the political interns.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
v.to put someone in prison or a camp for political or military reasons, usually without a trial.
v.to confine or impound someone, especially during wartime or for political reasons, without formal criminal charges.
Simple“During the war, many foreign citizens were interned in remote parts of the country.”
In context“The emergency legislation allowed the state to intern suspected insurgents indefinitely without the requirement of a public trial.”
UsageThis verb is transitive and typically used in the passive voice.
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to work at a company for a short time to learn the job.
v.to serve as an intern in a professional or medical capacity.
Simple“He decided to intern at a tech company to improve his coding skills before graduating.”
In context“She chose to intern with a non-profit organisation to gain experience in international development before applying for a master's degree.”
UsageThis verb is intransitive and often takes the preposition 'at' or 'with'.
Synonyms - 05 C2 Proficiency
adj.an old word for something that is inside or internal.
adj.relating to the inside; internal. This usage is largely restricted to historical or literary contexts.
Simple“The poet wrote about the intern struggles of the human soul.”
In context“The scholar examined the intern structures of the medieval government, focusing on the private councils of the king.”
“But as an intern I was paid nothing.”
From French interner, from interne (“inner, internal”), from Latin internus (“within, internal”), compare Etymology 2.
From French interne (“inner, internal”), from Latin internus (“within, internal”), from inter (“between”); compare Etymology 1.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.