Intern Meaning: Definition, Examples, and Translations

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intern

[ˈɪntɜːn ]

Definitions

^{Context #1 | Noun}

work

An intern is a student or trainee who works, sometimes without pay, in order to gain practical experience in a particular field.

Synonyms

apprentice, student, trainee.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

Word	Description / Examples
intern	Typically used to describe someone who is gaining work experience in a professional setting, often while still in school or shortly after graduation. Jane is working as an intern at the marketing firm this summer. As an intern, Tom is responsible for assisting with various projects and tasks.
trainee	Describes someone who is being trained for a particular job or profession, often within an organization, and may imply a period of probation or initial learning. The company has several new trainees who are learning how to use the software. As a trainee nurse, Emily spends a lot of time observing and assisting experienced staff.
apprentice	Used for someone who is learning a trade or craft from a skilled employer, having agreed to work for a fixed period of time at low wages. John is an apprentice carpenter who is learning the trade from a master builder. The young chef worked as an apprentice in a top restaurant to gain experience.
student	Refers to someone who is formally enrolled in an educational institution, such as a school, college, or university. Mary is a student at the local high school. He's a university student majoring in biology.

Examples of usage

The company offers internships to college students every summer.
She worked as an intern at a law firm before starting her own practice.

^{Context #2 | Noun}

technology

In computer science, an intern is a variable that is local to a function or method and its scope is limited to that function or method.

Synonyms

local variable.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

Word	Description / Examples
intern	To confine or imprison someone, typically in a military or wartime context. The refugees were interned in a camp until the conflict ended. During the war, many people were interned because of their nationality.
local variable	A variable that is defined within a specific function or block of code in programming, and is only accessible within that block. In Python, a local variable is declared inside a function and cannot be used outside of it. He had to debug his code because the local variable 'count' was not initialized properly.

Word

Description / Examples

intern

To confine or imprison someone, typically in a military or wartime context.

The refugees were interned in a camp until the conflict ended.
During the war, many people were interned because of their nationality.

local variable

A variable that is defined within a specific function or block of code in programming, and is only accessible within that block.

In Python, a local variable is declared inside a function and cannot be used outside of it.
He had to debug his code because the local variable 'count' was not initialized properly.

Examples of usage

The value of the intern variable is only accessible within the specific function.

^{Context #3 | Verb}

medicine

To intern means to restrict or confine someone, especially during a time of conflict or war.

Synonyms

confine, detain.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

Word	Description / Examples
intern	Use when referring to placing someone, particularly a civilian or member of a specific group, in confinement during wartime or other crisis situations. This has a negative and often historical connotation. During World War II, many Japanese-Americans were interned in camps. The government decided to intern enemy aliens in a secure facility.
confine	Use when referring to restricting someone's movement to a particular area, often for practical or logistical reasons, without any implication of wrongdoing. The patients are confined to their rooms to prevent the spread of infection. During the storm, we confined ourselves to the basement for safety.
detain	Use when referring to holding someone back or keeping them in custody, usually in a legal or formal context, often implying suspicion or accusation. The police detained the suspect for questioning. They were detained at the airport due to missing documentation.

Word

Description / Examples

intern

Use when referring to placing someone, particularly a civilian or member of a specific group, in confinement during wartime or other crisis situations. This has a negative and often historical connotation.

During World War II, many Japanese-Americans were interned in camps.
The government decided to intern enemy aliens in a secure facility.

confine

Use when referring to restricting someone's movement to a particular area, often for practical or logistical reasons, without any implication of wrongdoing.

The patients are confined to their rooms to prevent the spread of infection.
During the storm, we confined ourselves to the basement for safety.

detain

Use when referring to holding someone back or keeping them in custody, usually in a legal or formal context, often implying suspicion or accusation.

The police detained the suspect for questioning.
They were detained at the airport due to missing documentation.

Examples of usage

The prisoners of war were interned in a camp.

Translations

To see the translation, please select a language from the options available.

Origin of 'intern'

The word 'intern' originated from the Latin word 'internus', meaning 'inward'. In the early 19th century, it was used to refer to someone confined or restricted within a country during times of war. The modern usage of 'intern' to refer to a student or trainee gaining practical experience dates back to the early 20th century in the United States.

Word Frequency Rank

With rank #17,582, this word belongs to specialized vocabulary. While not common in everyday speech, it enriches your ability to express complex ideas.

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17579 smote
17580 phrasing
17581 pigmentation
17582 intern
17583 penitent
17584 fresco
17585 clam
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