newcomer
Americannoun
-
newcomers
plural
noun
Usage
What does newcomer mean? A newcomer is a person who has recently arrived at a location or a person or thing that has recently joined a new environment, such as an occupation, workplace, field, or organization. A person who’s just moved to a new city could be described as a newcomer. The term could also be used to refer to a new player on a team, a new student at school, a new employee at work, or a nation that has just joined an international organization. A company that has just been established could be described as a newcomer in its industry or sector. Example: It’s the kind of gym where longtime members take bets on how long newcomers will last.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of newcomer
Explanation
When you show up at your first meeting of the local swim club and you're the only one who didn't bring a towel, it may be because you're a newcomer, or someone who's new at participating in a particular group. When you're a newcomer, you're an outsider just joining an activity or group. There are a lot of great words that have the same meaning as newcomer, like neophyte, rookie, and Johnny-come-lately. One popular slang term for newcomer is newbie, which is often shortened on the Internet to noob.
Vocabulary lists containing newcomer
100 SAT Words Beginning with "N"
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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:
He urges boards to review a few relatively immediate outcomes that may reveal whether the board needs to intervene and shore up support for the newcomer or look for an alternative leader.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
"All of the employees had been doing this for decades. I was this newcomer and I had really no idea what was going on. So, they were really perplexed by me as well."
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
New controllers have been hired -- 92 in 2025 and 77 in 2026 -- but each newcomer must be trained for five years.
From Barron's ● Aug. 23, 2026
Pete Bloom, a raptor biologist who helped band the newcomer, says there’s a very good chance the bald eagles will make a go at starting a family in a few months.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
Olympic veteran Aly Raisman turned in a beautiful performance to win silver, while Laurie Hernandez, a bubbly newcomer to the senior roster, rocked the show and took bronze.
From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles
Their pottery expertise and their connection to Mississippian traditions may also have helped the newcomers establish a valuable role in their adopted community.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026
Even in such a high-stress moment, the open road continues to draw newcomers who see opportunity where veterans see a crisis.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026
That helps current employees who may be holding on to their jobs, yet it’s rough for newcomers who are on the outside looking in.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026
Fitness and mental readiness are highly important, and some newcomers might just have that to impress the new manager.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
Even one of the bank officers had to have been in on it, passing information to Hertzoon about their customers and tipping him off to newcomers from the country opening accounts.
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
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.
