novice

American  

[nov-is] / ˈnɒv ɪs /

noun

• novices
  plural

1. 

   a person who is new to the circumstances, work, etc., in which they are placed; beginner; tyro.

   The new senator was a novice in politics.

   Synonyms:

   newcomer, neophyte, greenhorn, beginner

2. a person who has been received into a religious order or congregation for a period of probation before taking vows.

   Synonyms:

   neophyte

3. a person newly become a church member.

4. a recent convert to Christianity.

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novice British  

/ ˈnɒvɪs /

noun

1. 1. a person who is new to or inexperienced in a certain task, situation, etc; beginner; tyro

   2. ( as modifier )

      novice driver

2. a probationer in a religious order

3. a sportsman, esp an oarsman, who has not won a recognized prize, performed to an established level, etc

4. a racehorse, esp a steeplechaser or hurdler, that has not won a specified number of races

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• novicehood
  noun
• novicelike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• novices
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of novice

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English novyce, from Middle French novice, from Medieval Latin novītius “convent novice,” variant of Latin novīcius “newly come into a particular status,” derivative of novus new. See -itious

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Explanation

If you're a novice at snowboarding, you're just learning the sport. On the Internet, a novice might be called a newbie, but your parents would call one a beginner. Novice is derived from the Latin word novus, which means new. A novice is new to what they do, so a novice photographer is just learning how to take nice pictures. Other words related to novice are novel "new, unusual," and innovate "to invent, begin with new ideas." Novice can also mean a member of a Christian order who has not yet taken their vows.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

novice novices

Erling is doing things no one has ever done on the field before, but he’s also easy for a soccer novice to understand.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026

It would be unfair not to credit Benn's in-ring evolution, going from a raw novice who used to take beatings in sparring to becoming one of British boxing's most recognisable fighters.

From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026

A football novice when he bought the club, Xu helped the team win multiple league championships.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

Although El-Sayed has never run for elected office, these are not the words of a political novice.

From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026

No one, from the youngest novice to the prioress, is excused from kitchen work.

From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein

Record labels, music publishers and tech startups are already tangled in lawsuits over AI platforms that allow at-home novices to create songs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

They include novices straight out of education, laid-off construction workers and barbecue business owners seeking new inspiration.

From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026

ETFs like these are easy for novices to work with and often have low fees.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 8, 2026

He said the company had introduced more than 5,000 novices to the sport.

From BBC ● Feb. 10, 2026

Much of the coverage was left to complete novices on loan from other beats.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

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Related Words

• beginner
• learner
• neophyte
• newcomer
• pupil
• trainee

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