en intern

Definition & meaning

Intern has several meanings in Swedish:

1. A prisoner or detainee—someone held in a prison or other institution. In this sense, it is a noun.
2. Internal; within an organization or institution—for example, information or communication intended for people inside an organization. In this sense, it is an adjective.
3. An intern or trainee—someone gaining practical experience, often as part of a course or professional training. In this sense, it is a noun.

The intended meaning depends on context.

Grammar & Word origin

As a noun, en intern means a prisoner or trainee. Its plural is interner, and its definite forms are internen and internerna.

As an adjective, intern changes form: intern, internt, interna. For example, it can describe something that is internal to an organization.

The word comes from Latin internus, meaning “inner” or “within.”

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms vary by meaning:

• For a prisoner: fånge ↗ is a general word for a prisoner; intern can specifically suggest someone confined in an institution.
• For an internal matter: inre ↗ means “inner” or “inside,” while intern more often refers to something within an organization or institution.
• For a trainee: praktikant ↗ usually refers to someone doing practical work experience; it is often a more familiar alternative to intern.

The main antonym of the adjective is extern ↗, meaning “external” or “outside the organization.” There is no exact general antonym for intern meaning “prisoner” or “trainee.”

Common phrases & collocations

• intern kommunikation ↗ — internal communication within an organization.
• intern utbildning ↗ — training provided within an organization.
• internationell praktik ↗ — international work experience; note that internationell means “international,” not “internal.”