neophyte

[ nee-uh-fahyt ]
/ ˈni əˌfaɪt /

noun

a beginner or novice: He's a neophyte at chess.
Roman Catholic Church. a novice.
a person newly converted to a belief, as a heathen, heretic, or nonbeliever; proselyte.
Primitive Church. a person newly baptized.

Origin of neophyte

1540–50; < Late Latin neophytus newly planted < Greek neóphytos. See neo-, -phyte

OTHER WORDS FROM neophyte

ne·o·phyt·ic [nee-uh-fit-ik] /ˌni əˈfɪt ɪk/, ne·o·phyt·ish [nee-uh-fahy-tish] /ˈni əˌfaɪ tɪʃ/, adjective ne·o·phyt·ism [nee-uh-fahy-tiz-uhm] /ˈni ə faɪˌtɪz əm/, noun

Example sentences from the Web for neophyte

British Dictionary definitions for neophyte

neophyte
/ (ˈniːəʊˌfaɪt) /

noun

a person newly converted to a religious faith
RC Church a novice in a religious order
a novice or beginner

Derived forms of neophyte

neophytic (ˌniːəʊˈfɪtɪk), adjective

Word Origin for neophyte

C16: via Church Latin from New Testament Greek neophutos recently planted, from neos new + phuton a plant