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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
Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2025
Like many of the men and women who worked on The Godfather, Mark and I were neophytes.
—airmail.news, 22 Feb. 2025
Kraft is a political neophyte but could become a force in Boston politics for three reasons: his connections in the philanthropic world, his legitimate community ties — and the deep pockets of his family and friends.
—Mike Deehan, Axios, 24 Jan. 2025
For years, ordinary investors who wanted to trade digital currencies generally had to go to a crypto exchange, a potential deal-breaker for neophytes.
—Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 11 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for neophyte
Cite this Entry
“Neophyte.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/neophyte. Accessed 29 Mar. 2025.
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neophyte
noun
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