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⇱ neophyte - WordReference.com Dictionary of English

neophyte

UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈniːəfaɪt/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ˈniəˌfaɪt/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(nē′ə fīt′)


WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
ne•o•phyte /ˈniəˌfaɪt/USA pronunciation   n. [countable]
  1. someone just learning an activity, occupation, etc.:She was a neophyte in politics.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
ne•o•phyte  (nē′ə fīt′),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. a beginner or novice:He's a neophyte at chess.
  2. Religion[Rom. Cath. Ch.]a novice.
  3. Religiona person newly converted to a belief, as a heathen, heretic, or nonbeliever; proselyte.
  4. Religion[Primitive Church.]a person newly baptized.
  • Greek neóphytos. See neo-, -phyte
  • Late Latin neophytus newly planted
  • 1540–50
    1. greenhorn, tyro.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
neophyte /ˈniːəʊˌfaɪt/ n
  1. a person newly converted to a religious faith
  2. a novice in a religious order
  3. a novice or beginner
Etymology: 16th Century: via Church Latin from New Testament Greek neophutos recently planted, from neos new + phuton a plant
'neophyte' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
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