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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.
Examples of neophyte in a Sentence
ArsTechnica, 22 May 2025
Adding to the extraordinary nature of the story, Mr. Carney is a political neophyte up against one of Canada’s most experienced politicians, in Mr. Poilievre.
—Ian Austen, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025
Celebrating its 75th anniversary, the premier motorsport entity now has its zeitgeist captured in a book that should be required reading for neophytes and ardent devotees alike—Grands Prix: 75 Years of Formula One Racing.
—Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 14 Apr. 2025
It should not be undertaken by politicians or neophytes.
—David V. Gioe, Foreign Affairs, 13 Feb. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Neophyte.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/neophyte. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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neophyte
noun
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