novitiate

or no·vi·ci·ate

[ noh-vish-ee-it, -eyt ]

noun

1. the state or period of being a novice of a religious order or congregation.
2. the quarters occupied by religious novices during probation.
3. the state or period of being a beginner in anything.
4. a novice.

novitiate

/ -ˌeɪt; nəʊˈvɪʃɪɪt /

noun

1. the state of being a novice, esp in a religious order, or the period for which this lasts
2. the part of a religious house where the novices live
3. a less common word for novice

Word History and Origins

Origin of novitiate¹

1590–1600; < Medieval Latin, equivalent to novīti ( us ) novice + -ātus -ate ³

Word History and Origins

Origin of novitiate¹

C17: from French noviciat, from Latin novīcius novice

Example Sentences

She has no choice but to carry this pregnancy to term, surrounded by jealous novitiates, senile nuns, controlling male leadership and a secret sect of the sisterhood who wear crimson shrouds over their faces.

From Los Angeles Times

By an accident of timing, the plague that threatens the convent and the surrounding areas feels more immediate – and dangerous – than the lingering shots of naked novitiates.

From Salon

The son of farmers in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, Father Swamy was sent to Jharkhand as a teenage Jesuit novitiate.

From New York Times

In 1977, she entered the Ursuline novitiate at Mount Saint Joseph in Maple Mount, Ky. She moved to Guatemala after teaching kindergarten in Kentucky.

From Washington Post

Holly Stepp, who works for a biomedical company and lives in Raleigh, N.C., found herself in the club of wig novitiates.

From New York Times