rookie
Americannoun
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an athlete playing their first season as a member of a professional sports team.
The rookie replaced the injured regular at first base.
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a raw recruit, as in the army or on a police force.
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a novice; tyro.
noun
Usage
What does Rookie of the Year mean? Rookie of the Year is an award given to an athlete judged most accomplished in the first season of their sport.
Etymology
Origin of rookie
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.
Arizona’s rookie Wildcats have produced over half of Arizona’s points and 41% of their rebounds this year.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026
The team's reserve driver Jak Crawford will be driving the car in one of the team's mandated rookie sessions this year.
From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026
Even the reinforcements were shorthanded as rookie Adou Thiero missed the game because of left knee soreness.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026
This year, the rookie minimum will be $270,000, and top picks, which Betts and Rice are projected to be, will make as much as $500,000.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 23, 2026
That meant me, because Anders was a rookie, and that meant that I got “promoted” from lunar-module pilot to command-module pilot.
From "Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story" by Michael Collins
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.
