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
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
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
Sheehy has been a staunch supporter of former President Trump and made that central to his campaign as a political novice.
—The Hill, 11 Dec. 2024
John Mayer, a relative Dead novice at the time, took on the difficult role of fronting Dead & Company alongside guitarist Bob Weir, drummers Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann, bassist Oteil Burbridge, and keyboardist Jeff Chimenti.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 4 Dec. 2024
Zack Snyder doesn’t seem to be all that worried about AI disrupting the filmmaking world, bringing scores of novices to the fold.
—Marah Eakin, WIRED, 3 Dec. 2024
With its striking clear glass decanter, Plata makes a perfect gift for novices, sophisticates, and home bartenders.
—Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 25 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for novice 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
The Hill, 11 Dec. 2024
John Mayer, a relative Dead novice at the time, took on the difficult role of fronting Dead & Company alongside guitarist Bob Weir, drummers Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann, bassist Oteil Burbridge, and keyboardist Jeff Chimenti.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 4 Dec. 2024
Zack Snyder doesn’t seem to be all that worried about AI disrupting the filmmaking world, bringing scores of novices to the fold.
—Marah Eakin, WIRED, 3 Dec. 2024
With its striking clear glass decanter, Plata makes a perfect gift for novices, sophisticates, and home bartenders.
—Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 25 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for novice
Dictionary Entries Near novice
Cite this Entry
“Novice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/novice. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share