Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

white belt

American  

noun

Martial Arts.
  1. a white cloth waistband worn by a beginner in one of the martial arts, as judo or karate.

  2. a beginner or novice in one of the martial arts.

  3. the rank of beginner.


Other Word Forms


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.

See Examples For:

Mrs Bigger, who started as a white belt, said she had been "a bit nervous" about attempting her first grading.

From BBC ● Apr. 1, 2025

Though he’s still early in his jiu jitsu training — a white belt — Tagovailoa is working on ways to land more safely when he’s on the field.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 19, 2023

In a livestream today, Eva Chen, director of fashion partnerships at Instagram, previewed one look featuring a cropped T-shirt, low-rise jeans, and a white belt, outfitted on Zuckerberg’s avatar.

From The Verge ● Jun. 17, 2022

For someone who’s just beginning to learn jiujitsu, it would take one to two years to graduate from a white belt to blue belt.

From Slate ● Aug. 10, 2017

He cut a very dashing figure, to be sure, in a trim scarlet tunic over deep blue trousers, with a spotless white belt cinched about his waist.

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember new words for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com