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

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

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

"I wanted to show people that it works," she tells me, explaining she thought sweetcorn's similarity to condensed milk would make the combination "more palatable" to a sweetcorn drink novice.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

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

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

A political novice, Darline is a blank slate and has been notoriously press-shy since taking office.

From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026

While Mr. Eisenkot isn’t a political novice, neither is he a career politician.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

She walked in the castle garden with her companions, dressed in the white clothes of a novice, and there was a clumsy action in her walk.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

A better question is why novices with small balances don’t just buy and hold the one thing guaranteed to leave them satisfied after a great quarter—nearly-free index funds.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 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

Comparative novices could soon be running the place.

From BBC ● Jan. 23, 2026

With them were four novices and two of the silent sisters.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin

Related Words

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