intern

A student or recent graduate who works for a short time to learn about a job.

• The intern helped with our project.
• We hired two summer interns from the local university.
• As an intern, she learned how the company worked.

Similar words: trainee

Common phrases: summer intern, paid intern, hire an intern, as an intern

To work for a short time at a company or organisation to learn about a job.

• I want to intern at a museum.
• She interned with a small law firm.
• Are you interning here for the whole summer?

How to use it: intern at a company/organisation (She interned at a newspaper last summer.); intern for someone (He interns for a local politician.)

Common phrases: intern at something, intern with someone, intern for someone

To keep people in a prison or camp by government order, often during a war.

• The government interned many civilians.
• They were interned in a camp during the war.
• The authorities decided to intern foreign nationals.

How to use it: intern someone in a camp/prison (The authorities interned him in a camp.)

Similar words: detain, imprison, confine

Opposites: release, free

Common phrases: intern civilians, intern someone, intern foreign nationals, intern without trial

To keep foreign soldiers within a controlled area after they enter a country’s land during war.

• The neutral country interned the soldiers.
• Troops who crossed the border were interned until the war ended.
• The government agreed to intern the foreign military personnel.

How to use it: intern soldiers in a camp (The neutral state interned the soldiers in a guarded camp.)

Similar words: detain, confine

Opposites: release

Common phrases: intern foreign soldiers, intern enemy troops, intern military personnel