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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
In the film, former Olympian Irving Blitzer, played by the late actor, coaches a novice four-man bobsleigh team from Jamaica.
—Sharareh Drury, People.com, 29 Mar. 2025
Mood and well-being of novice open water swimmers and controls during an introductory outdoor swimming programme: A feasibility study
Biology.
—Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 27 Mar. 2025
From novices to pros, different golf balls offer the materials, design, and construction to fit any golfer’s game.
—Bestreviews, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2025
In manufacturing, experienced operators can detect potential equipment failures through subtle changes in vibration or sound that novices might overlook.
—Rajesh Rajagopalan, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for novice
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Sharareh Drury, People.com, 29 Mar. 2025
Mood and well-being of novice open water swimmers and controls during an introductory outdoor swimming programme: A feasibility study
Biology.
—Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 27 Mar. 2025
From novices to pros, different golf balls offer the materials, design, and construction to fit any golfer’s game.
—Bestreviews, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2025
In manufacturing, experienced operators can detect potential equipment failures through subtle changes in vibration or sound that novices might overlook.
—Rajesh Rajagopalan, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 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 16 Apr. 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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