noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of beginner
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at begin, -er 1
Explanation
A beginner is someone who's brand new at something. In swimming lessons, a beginner practices putting her face in the water and blowing bubbles. If you're a beginner, you're a novice or an amateur — in other words, you're still learning. When you're learning to drive, you're a beginner and probably need the help of an instructor while you drive carefully around your neighborhood. A beginner at speaking French might be able to say a few phrases and know some basic vocabulary words. The earliest meaning of beginner, from the 14th century, was "founder," or "person who establishes an institution."
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:
"Trump is no longer a beginner at this point, much less Lula. Since these are experienced diplomats, experienced heads of state, they try to steer away from obstacles that are insurmountable."
From BBC ● May 7, 2026
“It took patience and perseverance being a beginner again.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 14, 2026
“For younger or beginner investors, having parental visibility or approval can be helpful in guiding decision making and reinforcing good habits,” Tobin said.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 26, 2026
Runna said it recently revised its free beginner plans with slow and steady default settings and a simpler interface.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 8, 2026
As of this writing, petersax-online2 had many exercises graded from simple to more difficult to help the beginner practice playing what you hear.
From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones
The waters off Jetties Beach and Steps Beach, both open to the public, are generally calm, ideal for beginners and families.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 20, 2026
For most beginners, taking these few, easy steps can have a significant impact on strengthening your long-term creditworthiness — not to mention building your financial confidence.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 17, 2026
Summary: CyberGhost is an excellent app for beginners with clear server labels for streaming, gaming and torrenting.
From Salon ● Jun. 10, 2026
Their experience ranged from beginners to specialists with up to 40 years in practice.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 26, 2026
After lunch, I see him across the field, drilling with a group of beginners.
From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins
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.
