beginner

noun

be·​gin·​ner bi-ˈgi-nər How to pronounce beginner (audio)
bē-
: one that begins something
especially : an inexperienced person

Examples of beginner in a Sentence

although our son is only a beginner at swimming, he is making excellent progress
Recent Examples on the Web The right weight will vary depending on your current fitness level and arm strength, but five to 10 pounds is a good starting point for beginner lifters. Christa Sgobba, SELF, 5 Mar. 2024 For beginner skier Jaco Geldenhuis, of San Francisco, the heavy snowfall made for fun skiing at Northstar, though not always easy. Jane Tyska, The Mercury News, 1 Mar. 2024 For beginners who may be slow on the bite response, Brosdahl suggests No. 6-8 Gamakatsu circle hooks to prevent deep hooking. David A. Brown, Field & Stream, 28 Feb. 2024 Here's our beginner's guide to the beloved destination and its scenic communities. Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 26 Feb. 2024 Flite wants to make these flying surfboards more accessible to beginners, which is where its $12,995 Flitescooter comes in. Boone Ashworth, WIRED, 25 Feb. 2024 The Collective Thread offers free sewing classes at beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. Cassell Ferere, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 The Coach lift, which has been used at Bogus for 43 years, starts at the ski area’s base near J.R. Simplot Lodge and largely serves beginners. Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 16 Feb. 2024 This is a great tool for beginners and does not take much finesse to get that perfect blowout look. Taylor Gumm, Rolling Stone, 20 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'beginner.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of beginner was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near beginner

Cite this Entry

“Beginner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beginner. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

beginner

noun
be·​gin·​ner bi-ˈgin-ər How to pronounce beginner (audio)
: a person who is beginning something or doing something for the first time : an inexperienced person

More from Merriam-Webster on beginner

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