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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.
Examples of neophyte in a Sentence
Will Sammon, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2026
Heartland churchgoers, urban sophisticates, football neophytes—everyone got swept up in his will to win.
—Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 8 Feb. 2026
Stefanski will let Tommy Rees, an NFL neophyte, call the plays.
—Michael Cunningham, AJC.com, 28 Jan. 2026
The horse's body is formed by four bright stars — the famous Great Square — one of the easiest star patterns for astronomy neophytes to trace out.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 16 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for neophyte
Cite this Entry
“Neophyte.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/neophyte. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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neophyte
noun
