inexperienced

American

[in-ik-speer-ee-uhnst] / ˌɪn ɪkˈspɪər i ənst /

adjective

not experienced; lacking knowledge, skill, or wisdom gained from experience.

Synonyms:

naive, green, raw, unpracticed, inexpert, unskilled

Etymology

Origin of inexperienced

First recorded in 1620–30; inexperience + -ed ²

Vocabulary lists containing inexperienced

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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.

If you’ve ever had the misfortune of being assigned an inexperienced, overconfident boss, you know what happens next.

From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026

Iron Honor, who joins Taj Mahal as the most inexperienced horses in the field with three starts each, won his first two races, including the Gotham at Aqueduct.

From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2026

Rao had acted like an inexperienced player, only to take all the chips, one of the players that evening said.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

Abid: As good as City are they seemed really inexperienced today.

From BBC • May 4, 2026

The families were told to exercise forbearance with inexperienced help.

From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023