Added 9 October 2026
neophyte
/ˈniː.əˌfaɪt/ noun
Latin root: neophytus Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about neophyte at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- A beginner; a person who is new to a subject, skill, or belief.
- A novice (recent convert); a new convert or proselyte; a new monk.
- Among the early Christians, and still among the Roman Catholics, one who has recently embraced the Christian faith, and been admitted to baptism, especially those converts from heathenism or Judaism.
Origin
Borrowed from Latin neophytus, from Ancient Greek νεόφυτος (neóphutos, “newly planted”), from νέος (néos, “new”) + φυτόν (phutón, “plant, child”). By surface analysis, neo- + -phyte.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)