newbie

noun

new·​bie ˈnü-bē 

ˈnyü-

informal

: a person who has recently started a particular activity : beginner, novice, newcomer

It's true that some users—particularly newbies—fall into the Web like Alice down the rabbit hole.

—Scott Kirsner

What will happen when all those newbie politicians sit down in the swivel chair for the first time?

—Geoff Clark

Synonyms of newbie

• novice
• beginner
• newcomer
• rookie
• apprentice
• freshman

Examples of newbie in a Sentence

He is a newbie to local politics.

a newbie to woodworking, he was still trying to learn all the terms and techniques of the craft

Recent Examples on the Web

Alice craves mentorship but can’t help noting how often Nora drinks on the job; Nora, who discovers Alice having a panic attack in the bathroom, wonders whether the newbie stands a chance of making it in the Bureau. — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 30 July 2026

The newbie held its own in a tricky market, where investors are worried over war, interest rates, inflation and more. — Evan Clark, Footwear News, 30 July 2026

And at first, Buckingham and Nicks just seemed like the latest newbies destined for the same fate as Welch, Jeremy Spencer, and Danny Kirwan. — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 23 July 2026

Taylor was a generous colleague, always sent an encouraging message on match days, looked after the newbies and was hugely supportive when fourth official, which is not true of all referees, unfortunately. — David Ornstein, New York Times, 21 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

irregular from new

First Known Use

1970, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for newbie

• be
• bee
• bree
• cree
• fee
• flea
• flee
• free
• gee
• ghee
• glee
• he

Kids Definition

newbie

noun

new·​bie ˈn(y)ü-bē 

informal

: a newcomer especially to cyberspace