rookie
Americannoun
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rookies
plural
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an athlete playing their first season as a member of a professional sports team.
The rookie replaced the injured regular at first base.
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a raw recruit, as in the army or on a police force.
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a novice; tyro.
noun
Usage
What does Rookie of the Year mean? Rookie of the Year is an award given to an athlete judged most accomplished in the first season of their sport.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of rookie
Explanation
A rookie is someone who's new at something. The young football player who's just joined the NFL is a rookie, and if you just started your restaurant job yesterday, you're a rookie too. Police officers and members of the military also call recent recruits rookies. This word can also function as an adjective to describe something related to newbies — like a "rookie season" or a "rookie quarterback." The word's origin is a bit hazy, though it may come from the disparaging secondary meaning of rook, "a cheat," or more appropriately, "someone who's easily cheated."
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:
It's hard to see how it would be Lindblad, after such an impressive rookie campaign.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
As a rookie, he had a nasty habit of holding on to the ball far too long and took a whopping 68 sacks while Chicago went 5-12 and ranked dead last in offensive yardage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
But there was concern for Baltimore as Flowers and rookie receiver Ja'Kobi Lane missed the second half with hamstring and wrist injuries respectively.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
The rookie is questionable for this game because of an ankle injury.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2026
But trusting him with the classified details of my heart turned out to be a rookie mistake.
From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi
"So many people said it was a bit of a risk having four rookies, but I was so impressed with them," Nordqvist said.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
Having started the day level at 8-8, Europe's quartet of rookies deserve huge credit.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
LSU football coach Lane Kiffin has faced backlash for his plan to add former NFL rookies to the team’s roster.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
That said, most rookies selected early in the draft typically play out all four years of their deal, and therefore get every dollar owed to them on their contracts.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 23, 2026
“It’s time for Rookie Royale! Two rookies will battle it out for the first time in the Ring.”
From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas
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.
