intern

UK: noun: /ɪnˈtɜː^rn/, verb: /ˈɪntɜː^rn/

US: /ɪnˈtɝn/

US: (v., adj. in tûrn′; n. in′tûrn)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

in•tern¹ /ɪnˈtɜrn/   v. [~ + object]

1. to imprison or keep (someone) within certain limits, as prisoners of war or enemy aliens.

in•tern•ment, n. [uncountable]

in•tern² /ˈɪntɜrn/   n. [countable]

1. Medicine a resident member of the medical staff of a hospital, usually a recent medical school graduate, serving as a trainee under the supervision of a fully qualified doctor.
2. anyone working as a trainee, (sometimes without pay) to gain practical experience in an occupation.

v. [no object]

3. to serve as an intern:
   journalism students interning on a newspaper.

in•tern•ship, n. [countable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

in•tern¹  (v. in tûrn′;n. in′tûrn), v.t. 

1. to restrict to or confine within prescribed limits, as prisoners of war, enemy aliens, or combat troops who take refuge in a neutral country.
2. to impound or hold within a country until the termination of a war, as a ship of a belligerent that has put into a neutral port and remained beyond a limited period.

n. 

3. a person who is or has been interned;
   internee.

• French interner, verb, verbal derivative of interne intern³
• 1865–70

in•tern²  (in′tûrn), n. Also, interne. 

1. Medicine a resident member of the medical staff of a hospital, usually a recent medical school graduate serving under supervision.
2. Education See student teacher. 
3. a person who works as an apprentice or trainee in an occupation or profession to gain practical experience, and sometimes also to satisfy legal or other requirements for being licensed or accepted professionally.

v.i. 

4. to be or perform the duties of an intern.

• Latin internus intern³
• French interne
• 1875–80, American.

in•tern³  (in tûrn′), adj. [Archaic.]

1. internal.

• Latin internus inward, equivalent. to inter- inter- + -nus adjective, adjectival suffix; see extern
• 1570–80

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

intern verb

1. / ɪnˈtɜːn/(transitive) to detain or confine (foreign or enemy citizens, ships, etc), esp during wartime
2. / ˈɪntɜːn/(intransitive) to serve or train as an intern

noun / ˈɪntɜːn/

1. another word for internee
2. Also: interne a graduate in the first year of practical training after medical school, resident in a hospital and under supervision by senior doctors
   British equivalent: house officer
3. a student teacher
4. a student or recent graduate receiving practical training in a working environment

adjective / ɪnˈtɜːn/

1. an archaic word for internal

Etymology: 19th Century: from Latin internus internal