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.
neophytes are assigned an experienced church member to guide them through their first year
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Although a relative neophyte in the 300-meter hurdles, Fontenot took the section lead in the event when with a time of 37.75 at the Mt. SAC Invitational.—Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 May 2025 Even by Louisiana’s baroque political standards, the race was strange: a powerful three-term Democratic incumbent overshadowed by a political neophyte who had not sponsored a single bill in the Louisiana Legislature.—Robert D. McFadden, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025 There are two important ones for 3D printing neophytes to track.—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 See All Example Sentences for neophyte
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
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