novitiate

no·vi·tiate | \ nō-ˈvi-shət

How to pronounce novitiate (audio)

, nə- \

Definition of novitiate

1 : the period or state of being a novice

2 : a house where novices are trained

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Examples of novitiate in a Sentence

a novitiate in the rarefied world of international diplomacy, the recently appointed ambassador is treading cautiously

Recent Examples on the Web In opening-night remarks, director Gemma Whelan noted that Burke Brogan was once a novitiate, a nun in training, who was assigned to a convent with a Magdalene Laundry. — oregonlive, "‘Eclipsed’ shines a light on Ireland’s Magdalene Laundries and the women hidden away there," 24 Sep. 2019 Brown entered Sacred Heart at age 18 in 1956 and studied at the novitiate for three years before leaving to enroll at UC Berkeley. — Paul Rogers, The Mercury News, "New redwood park opening 15 miles from downtown San Jose," 7 June 2019 At 18, Sally considers going off to Chicago to become a novitiate, so as to subvert her mother’s more conventional plans for her. — Helen Klein Ross, WSJ, "Five Best: Helen Klein Ross on Multigenerational Sagas," 1 Nov. 2018 His scholarly, somber demeanor reflected a background as a former Benedictine novitiate and college professor. — Terence Mcardle, Washington Post, "Eugene McCarthy vs. LBJ: The New Hampshire primary showdown that changed everything 50 years ago," 12 Mar. 2018 The decisive moment comes during one of the most mesmerizing sections of the novel, when Sally takes an overnight train from New York’s old Penn Station to Chicago to enter the novitiate. — Maureen Corrigan, WSJ, "Salvation and Self-Sacriﬁce," 15 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'novitiate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Novitiate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/novitiate. Accessed 23 Feb. 2020.

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