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

Vance, who is just 39, is half Trump's age, is one of the youngest men to be a vice presidential nominee and is political neophyte, a first-term senator who's only been in office for about a year and a half. —Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 15 July 2024

The incumbent Malliotakis, who’s served in Congress since 2021, is widely regarded as the favorite in the contest against Morse, a lawyer and a political neophyte. —Michael Gartland, New York Daily News, 12 July 2024

For a tenderfoot home cook, such recipes enable the knife-wielding neophyte's capacity to dream big. —Scott Hocker, theweek, 12 July 2024

The neophyte owns an 18.4% chase rate and a 13.6% walk rate — for reference, Juan Soto owns a 16.9% chase rate (98th percentile in baseball) and a 19.2% walk rate (100th percentile in MLB). —James O'Connell, New York Daily News, 3 July 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

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Kids Definition

neophyte

noun

neo·​phyte ˈnē-ə-ˌfīt 

1

: a person who has recently joined a religion

2

: beginner, novice