neophyte

[ nee-uh-fahyt ]
/ ˈni əˌfaɪt /
SEE 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.

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Origin of neophyte

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

OTHER WORDS FROM neophyte

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

Words nearby neophyte

neopaganism, neopallium, neo-Pentecostal, neophilia, neophobia, neophyte, neopilina, neoplasia, neoplasm, neoplasticism, neoplasty
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to neophyte

newcomer, novice, tenderfoot, colt, trainee, recruit, abecedarian, amateur, rookie, freshman, fledgling, greenhorn, tyro, apprentice

Example sentences from the Web for neophyte

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 of neophyte

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