Interning

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ɪnˈtɜː(ɹ)nɪŋ/

Definitions

1. The act of participating in a temporary job to gain professional experience while benefiting from mentorship and training opportunities
2. Engaging in a short-term role designed to provide practical training and insight into a professional field
3. Serving in a limited-duration assignment that offers learning chances and exposure to workplace practices

Etymology: "Interning" is the present participle of "intern", and the verb itself is a modern extension of an older sense. The noun-era "intern" for a trainee physician, borrowed from French "interne" (meaning "inner" or "internal"), came from Latin "internus", "within". In the sense of a resident doctor living in a hospital, the word goes back to the French usage, and the verb later developed from the noun that described that role. The verb meaning to hold someone in confinement, as in interning prisoners during wartime, is the older and more literal sense: to shut someone within a place. The shift to a work placement is a later American development, where a student or recent graduate spends a limited period working in an organisation. The journey from "within" to a short job placement is a short one: the trainee is someone kept inside the hospital, then someone kept inside an office for a period.

Synonyms: internship, training, apprenticeship