Apprentice and Old hand
Opposite meaning terms
Apprentice
Apprentice noun - A person who is just starting out in a field of activity.
Usage example: aware that she's only an apprentice in the medical field, she readily defers to her more experienced colleagues
Old hand is an antonym for apprentice.
Old hand
Old hand noun - A person with long experience in a specified area.
Usage example: with 25 years on the job, Vinnie was the old hand everyone went to with their problems
Apprentice is an antonym for old hand.
Cite this Source
Old hand and Apprentice. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 14, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/apprentice/old_hand
Apprentice & Old hand. N.p., 2016. Web. 14 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/apprentice/old_hand>.
Old hand or Apprentice. 2016. Accessed August 14, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/apprentice/old_hand.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "apprentice" and "old hand" have occurred on timeline