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novitiate

or no·vi·ci·ate

[ noh-vish-ee-it, -eyt ]
/ noʊˈvɪʃ i ɪt, -ˌeɪt /
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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.
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Origin of novitiate

1590–1600; <Medieval Latin, equivalent to novīti(us) novice + -ātus-ate3

Words nearby novitiate

novia, novice, novillero, novio, Novi Sad, novitiate, Novocain, Novocaine, Novocherkassk, Novo Hamburgo, Novokuibyshevsk
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to novitiate

abecedarian, amateur, apprentice, catechumen, colt, fish, fledgling, freshman, greenhorn, initiate, learner, neophyte, newcomer, novice, probationer, recruit, starter, student, tenderfoot, trainee

How to use novitiate in a sentence

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 Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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