Novice Definition, Usage, and Examples

Meaning 1：beginner (novice)

novice 🔊

/ˈnɑːvɪs/

A person who is new to a job or activity and has little experience; a beginner.

Novice cyclist learning to ride a bike with adult support in park

beginner 🔊

➕

/bɪˈɡɪnər/

A person who is new to a field, job, or activity and has little or no prior experience or skill.

📁 Category：Social Roles 🔖 Level：Beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'novicius' (new to a thing), derived from 'novus' (new). The suffix '-icius' indicates a state or condition.

💡 Mnemonic

Think 'no vice' — a beginner has not yet learned any bad habits or shortcuts.

📖 Example

As a novice in photography, he took blurry pictures of the sunset but was excited to learn more. 🔊 As a novice in photography, he took blurry pictures of the sunset but was excited to learn more.

🔗 Collocations

complete novice – someone who has absolutely no experience in a particular activity

novice driver – a person who has just learned to drive and has a learner's permit or new license

novice teacher – a teacher who is new to the profession and still developing classroom management skills

🔄 Synonyms

beginner (n.) – a person starting to learn a skill or take part in an activity for the first time

newbie (n.) – an informal term for someone who is new to a particular environment, especially online or in gaming

rookie (n.) – a newcomer to a profession, especially in sports or law enforcement, still gaining experience

🚫 Antonyms

expert (n.) – a person who has extensive skill or knowledge in a particular area

veteran (n.) – someone who has had long experience in a field, especially military or professional

professional (n.) – a person engaged in a specified activity as a main paid occupation rather than as a beginner

🌱 Derivatives

noviceship (n.) – the state or period of being a novice; apprenticeship

novitiate (n.) – the period of being a novice, especially in a religious order

novice-like (adj.) – resembling or characteristic of a novice; inexperienced

📖 Cultural Story

In medieval monasteries, novices were new members undergoing a trial period before taking vows. The term later expanded to any beginner in a trade or activity.