neophyte
Americannoun
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a person newly converted to a religious faith
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RC Church a novice in a religious order
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a novice or beginner
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of neophyte
First recorded in 1540–50; from Late Latin neophytus “newly planted,” from Greek neóphytos; see neo-, -phyte
Explanation
A neophyte is someone who's brand new at something. You're a neophyte the first time you pick up a guitar and start learning to play. Neo- means new, and -phyte is from the Greek phuton, "plant" — like a baby plant, a neophyte is someone who is new to an activity. In Greek, neophytos (literally "newly planted") was used to refer to a new church convert. A political neophyte is someone who is newly elected and comes to Washington D.C. not understanding how the game of politics is played. A Frisbee neophyte is someone who has just thrown the disc for the first time.
Vocabulary lists containing neophyte
300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
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Brand Spankin' New: Words with Neo- and Nov-
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I'm New Here...
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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.
See Examples For:
A neophyte coach, leading a team for the first time at any competitive level, and it being a high-profile assignment on the biggest of big stages.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026
Ramaswamy burst onto the national political scene in 2023 as a neophyte with a knack for using social media and podcast appearances to bolster his image.
From BBC ● May 5, 2026
How did a dusty old breakup lament become a hit for Francis, a neophyte?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 14, 2026
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Tuesday named Nicole Shanahan, a Silicon Valley lawyer, investor and political neophyte, as his running mate in his independent presidential bid.
From New York Times ● Mar. 26, 2024
Although neophyte writers may repeat a simple sentence structure to the point of inanity, most writers go to the opposite extreme and vary their syntax capriciously.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
Key to their transformation has been the crypto sector, where they were all neophytes a few years ago, but now run businesses that raised billions of dollars from investors before the market turned sour.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 8, 2026
So we figured that even as total neophytes, there was a chance we could make a coin that would go to the moon.
From Slate ● Mar. 28, 2025
They saved money by hiring neophytes and then letting them go once they got enough experience to demand a larger salary.
From Salon ● Dec. 19, 2024
Under the guise of reviewing escape room dynamics, our team — three neophytes and two true escape artists — worked together to pilot the sub, fend off danger and locate Atlantis on the ocean floor.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 21, 2022
They too, like the ever increasing neophytes of Pierron, are called "praying Indians."
From The Life and Times of Kateri Tekakwitha The Lily of the Mohawks by Ellen H. Walworth
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.
