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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.
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
Like sommeliers who make wine accessible to novices while satisfying connoisseurs, effective tech leaders communicate complex concepts clearly to diverse audiences.
—Dennis Kozak, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
Unfortunately, many new nurses leave their programs without adequate hands-on experience and confidence, putting pressure on experienced nurses to mentor novices without additional compensation for training.
—Shakira Henderson, Sun Sentinel, 18 May 2025
Original price: $21.95 These pickleball rules card tags are a convenient and practical accessory for novice and experienced players.
—Jené Luciani Sena
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 12 May 2025
Sixty-year-old Carney is the former governor of both the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England and a political novice.
—Jackie Northam, NPR, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for novice
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Dennis Kozak, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
Unfortunately, many new nurses leave their programs without adequate hands-on experience and confidence, putting pressure on experienced nurses to mentor novices without additional compensation for training.
—Shakira Henderson, Sun Sentinel, 18 May 2025
Original price: $21.95 These pickleball rules card tags are a convenient and practical accessory for novice and experienced players.
—Jené Luciani Sena
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 12 May 2025
Sixty-year-old Carney is the former governor of both the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England and a political novice.
—Jackie Northam, NPR, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for novice
Cite this Entry
“Novice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/novice. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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
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