uninitiated

British

/ ˌʌnɪˈnɪʃɪeɪtɪd /

adjective

1. not having gained knowledge or experience of a particular subject or activity
2. ( as collective noun ; preceded by the )
  
  the uninitiated

"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

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.

It is true that basing a fiction on a lot of arcane knowledge runs the risk of leaving the uninitiated confused or simply unengaged.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 23, 2025

But the rikishi brought plenty of excitement to the uninitiated, too, with former England prop Joe Marler calling it an "incredible spectacle".

From BBC • Oct. 20, 2025

For the uninitiated, “Cabaret” begins with a marionette-like male character named the Emcee, the omnipresent master of ceremonies of an underground Kit Kat Club in 1931 Berlin, smiling into a warped mirror.

From Salon • Oct. 4, 2025

The uninitiated, however, might find Maron somewhat less engaging.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 3, 2025

In the southwest corner there were boxes and trunks with tarps pulled over them to protect them from uninitiated eyes.

From "Ceremony:" by Leslie Marmon Silko

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023