newbie
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of newbie
An Americanism first recorded in 1965–70; perhaps newb(orn) + -ie
Explanation
Newbie is a nickname for someone who is new to something. The new guy on a team or job is a newbie. Someone who just started using the internet is a newbie. Newbies are just starting out. This word — which has new right in it — is a slangy term for someone just starting an activity. A person on their first day at a job is a newbie. A first-time soccer player is a newbie. Freshmen are newbies. The opposite of a newbie is a veteran. Because newbies are inexperienced, they have a lot to learn. Newbies are also called rookies.
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.
In 2022, the political newbie won Kathmandu's mayoral race by a landslide as an independent candidate, triumphing over parties which had dominated elections for decades.
From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026
“As a newbie to Orange County, I thought Rudy would be too much for” the area, Gradilla said.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026
Robinhood says the card is designed to appeal to customers who already use its investing platform, which was launched in 2013 and targets younger, newbie investors.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 5, 2026
After Zohran Mamdani takes over running the country’s largest city on Thursday, the 34-year-old Democratic socialist and relative political newbie will face a series of crucial early tests.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 31, 2025
"Nah, it's cool," Ghost said, calling off his newbie goons.
From "Patina" by Jason Reynolds
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.
