newbie
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of newbie
An Americanism first recorded in 1965–70; perhaps newb(orn) + -ie
Explanation
Newbie is a nickname for someone who is new to something. The new guy on a team or job is a newbie. Someone who just started using the internet is a newbie. Newbies are just starting out. This word — which has new right in it — is a slangy term for someone just starting an activity. A person on their first day at a job is a newbie. A first-time soccer player is a newbie. Freshmen are newbies. The opposite of a newbie is a veteran. Because newbies are inexperienced, they have a lot to learn. Newbies are also called rookies.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Many years ago, when I was a newbie newspaper reporter in the Boston Globe’s Washington bureau, one of my colleagues, Tom Oliphant, gave me a tip that I’ve cherished ever since.
From Slate ● Jun. 24, 2026
In 2022, the political newbie won Kathmandu's mayoral race by a landslide as an independent candidate, triumphing over parties which had dominated elections for decades.
From BBC ● Mar. 26, 2026
“As a newbie to Orange County, I thought Rudy would be too much for” the area, Gradilla said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 24, 2026
Robinhood says the card is designed to appeal to customers who already use its investing platform, which was launched in 2013 and targets younger, newbie investors.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 5, 2026
All the other girls had been on the national team the previous year; I was the only newbie in the mix.
From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles
By 11 p.m., the nodes of Kyiv’s subway had turned into underground towns, with regulars, newbies, friendly banter and occasional disputes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026
For Mukherjea, the lesson is to buy blue chip Indian names that domestic newbies find boring and global investors have sidelined to chase AI stocks elsewhere.
From Barron's ● Nov. 20, 2025
Their experience also lets them notice AI mistakes newbies might miss.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2025
Deathracer413 now includes former and current pro skateboarders doing tricks alongside average enthusiasts and late-life skating newbies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2025
"Today is Wednesday, and Mikey, why don't you inform our newbies about what sprinters do on Wednesdays," Coach said.
From "Ghost" by Jason Reynolds
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
