A Novice Is Someone New
A novice is a beginner. In religious orders it is a formal stage with a defined length and a specific status.
A novice is a beginner. Religious orders use it as a formal rank: the *novitiate* is a probationary period, often a year or more, during which a candidate lives the life of the community before taking vows. The Latin *novus*, new, sits behind *novel*, *innovate*, *renovate* and *nova*, a star that appears newly.
- A beginner. *A complete novice.*
- A trainee in a religious order. *A Benedictine novice.*
- Novitiate — the training period. *During his novitiate.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | novice | A nervous novice. |
| Plural | novices | Two novices. |
| Noun | novitiate | A two-year novitiate. |
| Related | novel | A novel approach. |
| Related | innovate | Innovate constantly. |
How it is used in a sentence
- He is a novice at chess.A beginner.
- The novitiate lasts a year.Religious life.
- A nova is a newly visible star.From the same root.
Words from *novus*, new
- Novice — a newcomer
- Novel — new, and a new kind of story
- Innovate — to make new
- Renovate — to make new again
- Nova — a star that becomes newly visible
From Latin *novicius*, newly imported or inexperienced, from *novus*, new — related to English *new*.
What is a novitiate?
The probationary period in a religious order, during which a novice lives the community's life before deciding whether to take vows.
Are new and novice related?
Yes. Latin *novus* and English *new* descend from the same Indo-European root.