novitiate
Americannoun
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the state or period of being a novice of a religious order or congregation.
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the quarters occupied by religious novices during probation.
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the state or period of being a beginner in anything.
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a novice.
noun
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the state of being a novice, esp in a religious order, or the period for which this lasts
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the part of a religious house where the novices live
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a less common word for novice
Etymology
Origin of novitiate
1590–1600; < Medieval Latin, equivalent to novīti ( us ) novice + -ātus -ate 3
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.
Unbeknownst to Daniel, she’s a former novitiate who remains a committed Catholic.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026
She complies with the fervor of a novitiate.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 15, 2025
Set in Rome in 1971 just before the events of the first movie, “The First Omen’s” central figure is Margaret Daino, a dewy, virginal American novitiate played by Nell Tiger Free.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 5, 2024
He entered the novitiate in 1946 and was ordained in 1959.
From New York Times ● Sep. 20, 2022
When the Sisters of the Star arrived after her mother’s funeral and offered her a place in their novitiate, Ethyne hesitated only for a moment.
From "The Girl Who Drank the Moon" by Kelly Barnhill
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.
