novice

noun

nov·​ice ˈnä-vəs 

1

: a person admitted to probationary membership in a religious community

The novices spend part of each day in prayer and meditation.

2

: beginner, tyro

Did you know?

Among the ancient Romans, a novice (novicius) was usually a newly enslaved person, who had to be trained in his or her duties. Among Catholics and Buddhists, if you desire to become a priest, monk, or nun, you must serve as a novice for a period of time, often a year (called your novitiate), before being ordained or fully professing your vows. No matter what kind of novice you are—at computers, at writing, at politics, etc.—you've got a lot to learn.

Synonyms of novice

• beginner
• newcomer
• rookie
• apprentice
• freshman

Examples of novice in a Sentence

Novices serve time as scullery serfs as they work toward the privilege of trailing a pastry chef … —Guy Trebay, New York Times, 4 Sept. 2002

For the novice, walking the course also means being scared senseless by all the possibilities to screw up. —Tim Keown, ESPN, 17 Sept. 2001

Yet it's obvious to him and everyone else who the novice is here, the book-learned tournament virgin. —James McManus, Harper's, December 2000

Much defter than one would have thought possible from the length of her fingernails, Toula had no fear of high fast notes; her flair, mounted between Andrea's perfectionist reserve and Alice's novice awkwardness, seemed all too displayed. —John Updike, The Afterlife, 1994

He's a novice in cooking.

a book for the novice chess player

Recent Examples on the Web

Both novices and longboarders hold high regard for this surfing mecca on account of its enticing long breakers, which provide hours of great wave riding. —Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Jan. 2026

On Thursday, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie, a political novice who has remained popular throughout his first year, delivered a rosy State of the City address highlighting his administration’s efforts to expand shelter beds and homeless services. —Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 16 Jan. 2026

Facing his first credible challenger in years, Orbán has tried to paint Magyar as a political novice and seems to have called on his ideological allies to rally to his defense ahead of parliamentary elections on April 12. —Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 16 Jan. 2026

Greenberg is one of 12 candidates running for mayor in 2026, many of whom are political novices — save for Louisville Metro Councilwoman Shameka Parrish-Wright, who previously ran against Greenberg in the 2022 Democratic primary. —Killian Baarlaer, Louisville Courier Journal, 15 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French, "probationer in a religious community" (continental Old French also, "inexperienced person"), borrowed from Late Latin novīcius, going back to Latin, "newly enslaved person, person recently entered into a condition," as adjective, "newly imported, recently discovered, fashionable," from novus "new" + -īcius -itious — more at new entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

novice

noun

nov·​ice ˈnäv-əs 

1

: a new member of a religious order who is preparing to take the vows of religion

2

: a person who has no previous experience with something