neophyte

[ nee-uh-fahyt ]

/ ˈni əˌfaɪt /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR neophyte ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a beginner or novice: He's a neophyte at chess.

Roman Catholic Church. a novice.

a person newly converted to a belief, as a heathen, heretic, or nonbeliever; proselyte.

Primitive Church. a person newly baptized.

Nearby words

neoorthodoxy, neopaganism, neopallium, neophilia, neophobia, neophyte, neopilina, neoplasia, neoplasm, neoplasticism, neoplasty

Origin of neophyte

1540–50; < Late Latin neophytus newly planted < Greek neóphytos. See neo-, -phyte

SYNONYMS FOR neophyte

1 greenhorn, tyro.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR neophyte ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

ne·o·phyt·ic

[nee-uh-fit-ik] /ˌni əˈfɪt ɪk/, ne·o·phyt·ish

[nee-uh-fahy-tish] /ˈni əˌfaɪ tɪʃ/, adjectivene·o·phyt·ism

[nee-uh-fahy-tiz-uhm] /ˈni ə faɪˌtɪz əm/, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for neophyte

For the aficionado or the neophyte, Comics is a useful overview of a richly creative period in a burgeoning art.
The Best Coffee Table Books of 2014|Robert Birnbaum|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The other thing the film got wrong was the premise that David was a neophyte, better suited for interviewing the Bee Gees.
The Private David Frost|John M. Florescu|September 3, 2013|DAILY BEAST
All the hullabaloo confused the neophyte rockers, who had only been a band for two years and were searching for their own voice.
Cold War Kids on Faith, Hipster Detractors & Their Musical Evolution|Marlow Stern|April 17, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Wallin did not seem to be a neophyte in the ways of narcotics peddling.
Monsignor Meth Kevin Wallin: The Kinky Priest Who Sold Meth|Michael Daly|January 22, 2013|DAILY BEAST

It demonstrated to the neophyte publisher the importance a strong broadband presence can have for a burgeoning brand.
‘Treats!’: High Fashion’s Sexy New Magazine Takes Off|Chris Lee|January 12, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The teacher, however, snared the cadet in a neo-judo hold that no neophyte, however skilled or strong could break.
Man of Many Minds|E. Everett Evans
This seasonable interposition silenced the accuser; but it was long before the neophyte could venture to appear at the club.
The Miscellaneous Writings and Speeches of Lord Macaulay, Vol. 2 (of 4)|Thomas Babington Macaulay
More than ever she felt herself a neophyte in the social universe; she knew neither its creed nor its ritual.
Good References|E. J. Rath
Vastly to her surprise and gratification, the neophyte arose on the following morning without severe symptoms of lameness.
Wanted: A Husband|Samuel Hopkins Adams
This, surely, is a degree of faith not absolutely necessary for the neophyte in science.
Practical Education, Volume II|Maria Edgeworth

British Dictionary definitions for neophyte

neophyte

/ (ˈniːəʊˌfaɪt) /

noun

a person newly converted to a religious faith

RC Church a novice in a religious order

a novice or beginner

Derived Forms

neophytic (ˌniːəʊˈfɪtɪk), adjective

Word Origin for neophyte

C16: via Church Latin from New Testament Greek neophutos recently planted, from neos new + phuton a plant

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012