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
Recent Examples on the WebAs a 22-year-old political neophyte, Mr. Irizarry is the underdog in the race.—Richard Fausset, New York Times, 10 June 2024 Well, curious neophytes and die-hard fans alike can enjoy public viewings of the Cricket World Cup 2024 matches at the Port Authority’s World Trade Center Campus starting Saturday with the U.S. vs. Canada match.—Amber Garrett, New York Daily News, 30 May 2024 Even Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, a political neophyte, underscored the dangers of nuclear weapons in his speech addressing the crisis last week.—Sumit Ganguly, Foreign Affairs, 5 Mar. 2019 Forty-five years of turning a clueless neophyte into an elite master trainer will do that, too.—Jim Lindgren, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for neophyte
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'neophyte.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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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