uninitiated

British  

/ ˌʌnɪˈnɪʃɪeɪtɪd /

adjective

1. 1. not having gained knowledge or experience of a particular subject or activity

   2. ( as collective noun ; preceded by the )

      the uninitiated

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Explanation

Someone who's uninitiated is inexperienced or lacking an insider's knowledge of a subject. For the uninitiated viewer, experimental films are just plain strange. If you come into a new situation without any background information or direct experience, you're uninitiated. An uninitiated guest of the Queen will be confused about when to bow or curtsy and which fork to use at lunch. For an uninitiated reader, the names and faces in a celebrity gossip magazine will be meaningless. To be initiated is to have secret or special knowledge. Add the prefix un-, and you get this adjective meaning "lacking knowledge."

Example Sentences

To the uninitiated, Bangaranga seems cast in the mould of nonsensical Eurovision songs like Diggi-Lou, Digg-Lay - but the title actually means "uproar" in Jamaican patois.

From BBC • May 17, 2026

For the uninitiated, Roxy is the women’s brand of Quiksilver, the legendary Australian company that began in 1969 and made board shorts that performed as well as they looked.

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026

Combining romance and sport may seem unusual to the uninitiated - but to some readers in the room, it made perfect sense.

From BBC • Jan. 17, 2026

To rewind for the uninitiated, Nuzzi was a young phenom political reporter.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 6, 2025

On the other hand he had the advantage of the prominently wounded and of any veteran whose war years are forever a mystery to the uninitiated.

From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson