neophyte

noun

neo·​phyte ˈnē-ə-ˌfīt 

1

: a new convert : proselyte

2

: novice sense 1

3

: tyro, beginner

a neophyte when it comes to computers

neophytes fresh from graduate schools of business

Did you know?

Neophyte is hardly a new addition to the English language—it's been part of the English vocabulary since the 14th century. It traces back through Late Latin to the Greek word neophytos, meaning "newly planted" or "newly converted." These Greek and Latin roots were directly transplanted into the early English uses of neophyte, which first referred to a person newly converted to a religion or cause. By the 1600s, neophyte had gained a more general sense of "a beginner or novice." Today you might consider it a formal elder sibling of such recent informal coinages as newbie and noob.

Synonyms

• convert
• proselyte

Examples of neophyte in a Sentence

neophytes are assigned an experienced church member to guide them through their first year

Recent Examples on the Web

The political neophyte was a bumbling candidate who ran a terrible campaign. —Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2024

The actor had spent the previous 24 hours celebrating her daughter Suri Cruise’s 18th birthday, an event that prompted the internet to swiftly dub the Hollywood neophyte an ‘It’ girl on the rise. —Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 22 Apr. 2024

But in their early years these prodigious neophytes tended to devote themselves single-mindedly to their ensembles. —Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2024

Robert Kennedy is expected to announce that Nicole Shanahan, a Silicon Valley lawyer, investor and political neophyte, will be his running mate in his independent presidential bid. —Maggie Haberman, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2024

Schiff and Garvey, a political neophyte who nevertheless was the most prominent Republican running, were the top two finishers in the primary, sending them to a one-on-one contest in the November general election. —Benjamin Oreskes, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024

This first episode hits me, a neophyte, as competently executed apocalypse fiction. —Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, 16 Jan. 2023

The Texans’ most talented defensive players, edge rusher Will Anderson and cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., were also neophytes. —Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 16 Jan. 2024

The obscure neophyte was now tipped to be Johnson’s successor. —Dominic Green, Washington Examiner, 12 Jan. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English neophite, borrowed from Late Latin neophytus, borrowed from Greek neóphytos "newly planted" (in New Testament and patristic Greek, "newly converted, new convert"), from neo- neo- + -phytos, verbal adjective of phýein "to bring forth, produce" — more at be

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Kids Definition

neophyte

noun

neo·​phyte ˈnē-ə-ˌfīt 

1

: a person who has recently joined a religion

2

: beginner, novice