novitiate
or no·vi·ci·ate
[ noh-vish-ee-it, -eyt ]
/ noʊˈvɪʃ i ɪt, -ˌeɪt /
noun
the state or period of being a novice of a religious order or congregation.
the quarters occupied by religious novices during probation.
the state or period of being a beginner in anything.
a novice.
RELATED WORDS
amateur, learner, fish, novice, recruit, neophyte, initiate, newcomer, abecedarian, student, trainee, freshman, fledgling, tenderfoot, greenhorn, tyro, colt, starter, apprentice, probationer
Nearby words
novi sad, novia, novice, novillero, novio, novitiate, novo hamburgo, novobiocin, novocain, novocaine, novocherkassk
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for novitiate
British Dictionary definitions for novitiate
novitiate
noviciate
/ (nəʊˈvɪʃɪɪt, -ˌeɪt) /
noun
the state of being a novice, esp in a religious order, or the period for which this lasts
the part of a religious house where the novices live
a less common word for novice
Word Origin for novitiate
C17: from French noviciat, from Latin novīcius novice
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for novitiate
novitiate
also noviciate, "state of being a novice," c.1600, from Middle French noviciat or directly from Medieval Latin novitiatus, from Late Latin novitius "novice," from Latin adjective novicius (see novice).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper