novice

American  

[nov-is] / ˈnɒv ɪs /

noun

• novices
  plural

1. 

   a person who is new to the circumstances, work, etc., in which they are placed; beginner; tyro.

   The new senator was a novice in politics.

   Synonyms:

   newcomer, neophyte, greenhorn, beginner

2. a person who has been received into a religious order or congregation for a period of probation before taking vows.

   Synonyms:

   neophyte

3. a person newly become a church member.

4. a recent convert to Christianity.

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novice British  

/ ˈnɒvɪs /

noun

1. 1. a person who is new to or inexperienced in a certain task, situation, etc; beginner; tyro

   2. ( as modifier )

      novice driver

2. a probationer in a religious order

3. a sportsman, esp an oarsman, who has not won a recognized prize, performed to an established level, etc

4. a racehorse, esp a steeplechaser or hurdler, that has not won a specified number of races

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• novicehood
  noun
• novicelike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• novices
  plural

Etymology

Origin of novice

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English novyce, from Middle French novice, from Medieval Latin novītius “convent novice,” variant of Latin novīcius “newly come into a particular status,” derivative of novus new. See -itious

Explanation

If you're a novice at snowboarding, you're just learning the sport. On the Internet, a novice might be called a newbie, but your parents would call one a beginner. Novice is derived from the Latin word novus, which means new. A novice is new to what they do, so a novice photographer is just learning how to take nice pictures. Other words related to novice are novel "new, unusual," and innovate "to invent, begin with new ideas." Novice can also mean a member of a Christian order who has not yet taken their vows.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

novice novices

I’m a novice, so I recruited a caviar-loving colleague to join me for an impromptu tasting session of five brands.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026

It would be unfair not to credit Benn's in-ring evolution, going from a raw novice who used to take beatings in sparring to becoming one of British boxing's most recognisable fighters.

From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026

In 2020, the city’s establishment initially dismissed Raman, then a political novice, as a wokosa fluke, until she beat David Ryu, who became the first L.A. council incumbent to lose in 17 years.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026

A football novice when he bought the club, Xu helped the team win multiple league championships.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

They matched me with a white boy, a novice like myself, named Bill Peterson.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey

They include novices straight out of education, laid-off construction workers and barbecue business owners seeking new inspiration.

From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026

ETFs like these are easy for novices to work with and often have low fees.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 8, 2026

Baker, 42 years Reyes’s senior at the company, hopes there’s enough time for Electric Boat’s senior shipyard workers to train the ballooning crew of novices before they retire.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 18, 2026

With AI doing their bidding, novices can cause damage in moments, while experienced hackers can launch many more sophisticated attacks with much less effort.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 5, 2026

The novices who attended her reported that she spent a third of her waking hours with her son, another third in prayer, and the rest in her tub.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin

Related Words

• beginner
• learner
• neophyte
• newcomer
• pupil
• trainee