Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. A recent convert to a belief; a proselyte.
- n. A beginner or novice: a neophyte at politics.
- n. Roman Catholic Church A newly ordained priest.
- n. A novice of a religious order or congregation.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- Newly entered on some state; having the character of a novice.
- n. A new convert; one newly initiated. Specifically— In the primitive church, one newly baptized. These formed a distinct class in the church; at first, because of the reference in 1 Tim. iii. 6 to a novice, they were regarded as unfit for ecclesiastical office.
- n. In the Roman Catholic Church, a converted heathen, heretic, etc.
- n. Occasionally in the Roman Catholic Church, a novice.
- n. A tiro; a beginner in learning.
- n. Synonyms Proselyte, Apostate, etc. See convert.
Wiktionary
- n. A beginner.
- n. A novice (recent convert), a new convert or proselyte, a new monk.
- n. Christianity A name given by the early Christians, and still given by the Roman Catholics, to those who have recently embraced the Christian faith, and been admitted to baptism, especially those converts from heathenism or Judaism.
- n. biology A plant species recently introduced to an area (in contrast to archaeophyte, a long-established introduced species).
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. A new convert or proselyte; -- a name given by the early Christians, and still given by the Roman Catholics, to such as have recently embraced the Christian faith, and been admitted to baptism, esp. to converts from heathenism or Judaism.
- n. A novice; a tyro; a beginner in anything.
WordNet 3.0
- n. a new convert being taught the principles of Christianity by a catechist
- n. any new participant in some activity
- n. a plant that is found in an area where it had not been recorded previously
Etymologies
- From Latin neophytus, from Ancient Greek νεόφυτος (neophutos), from νέος (neos, "new") + φυτόν (phuton, "plant, child"). Surface analysis is neo- + -phyte. (Wiktionary)
- Middle English, from Late Latin neophytus, from Greek neophutos : neo-, neo- + -phutos, planted (from phuein, to bring forth; see bheuə- in Indo-European roots). (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“In Charles County, a political neophyte is challenging a longtime county government official who in recent years was accused of unethical behavior for allegedly misleading county commissioners.”
The Washington Post: Newcomer challenges Charles County register of wills
“I seldom see many if any of these qualities in neophyte hunters and often the complete package is missing in the more experienced.”
“And I had to look up the word neophyte so does that also make me 78% dumb?”
“The Indians must apply to the commandant at the presidio, who, after obtaining from the padre a report, was to issue a written permit entitling the neophyte and his family to go where they chose, their names being erased from the Mission register.”
“It was nicely enlightening to see a reaction from a true neophyte, which is going to be noticeably different than the folks who have read all the books and have that as a jumping-off point.”
“In hunting for quail, it is called neophyte, sophomoric, ticketing, hunting accident.”
“During the first centuries the comparison of the church with an army was carried out even in details; [5] the baptism of the neophyte was the oath of fidelity to the flag taken by the recruits.”
“McCain ---- Picks a noname neophyte and puts the whole nation at risk”
“Â He first showed up in, yes, Uncanny X-Men #300 man, almost 200 issues ago, and I always thought they called him "neophyte" because he was, in actuality, a neophyte to the Acolyte cause.”
What I bought – 7 November 2007 | Comics Should Be Good! @ Comic Book Resources
“Whether it be "kitchen/informal, or official cabinet posts, these persons will have the wherewithal to make or break a neophyte administration ”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘neophyte’.
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GRE Barrons Wordlist
A complete Barron's Wordlist for GRE preparation. Your online flashcard replacement.
abase, abash, abate, abbreviate, abdicate, aberrant, aberration, abet, abeyance, abhor, abject, abjure and 4087 more...
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GRE Barron's 800
abate, abdicate, aberrant, abeyance, abject, abjure, abscission, abscond, abstemious, abstinence, abysmal, accretion and 787 more...
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250 Extra Spelling Words
Some more words for intermediate and advanced spellers.
cultellarius, barouche, palanquin, badelaire, cavetto, tregetour, tergiversate, rhododendron, rhadamanthine, thyrsus, cappelletti, bradycardia and 238 more...
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Interesting words
A list of words that are odd or words that I have looked up.
concupiscence, brize, scree, scoria, forestaff, spanaemia, valetudinarianism, distasture, pyrethrum, laudanum, gentian, bicameral and 11250 more...
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GRE 2014
abase, abate, abdicate, aberrant, abeyance, abhor, abjure, abortive, abound, abrasive, abreast, abridge and 1577 more...
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Words build meanings from origins( et...
These come from gamma meditation ,I think.
discursive, exogenous, machinations, purportedly, sumptuous, congruity, cantankerous, incongruous, festoon, hessian, ratiocinative, stratigraphic and 2057 more...
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N
letters starting with n
nadir, naive, narcissist, nascent, natation, natty, nauseate, nautical, nebulous, necromancy, nefarious, negate and 24 more...
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Vocabulary
shibboleth, verboten, jejune, ostensible, multifarious, quintessence, purportedly, tangential, vacillate, quagmire, wanton, onerous and 74 more...
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Let's Talk About Family!
idiosyncrasy, acerbic, sardonic, mordant, aesthetics, prolific, discerning, eclectic, iconoclast, heterodox, disheveled, deplorable and 36 more...
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Hit Parade GRE
Princeton Review words
abscond, aberrant, alacrity, anomaly, approbation, arduous, assuage, audacious, austere, axiomatic, canonical, capricious and 287 more...
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Words
My list of words.
veritable, facetious, nadir, quixotic, apropos, acquiesce, ostensible, insipid, egregious, inveterate, coax, adroit and 409 more...
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SoSheShall's list
slurp, coeur, slurple, glop, perp, fluarxx, ropechno, herrherr, burrduhherrherr, sloppy, cheezie balls, eccentric and 634 more...
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summer words 2009
how many words can I make mine this summer?
largess, hoyden, catholic, fornicatress, quean, slattern, bildungsroman, sybaritic, descresent, nodus, frittle, callipygian and 529 more...
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List Erine
cool mint antiseptic
shalom, cattywampus, bourgeoisie, aerophile, traverse, grotto, epicurean, ex cathedra, nautilus, epitaph, lathe, continuum and 753 more...
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je les adore!
fusillade, foal, celestial, abattoir, byzantium, berlin, casablanca, babylon, balkans, albion, avalon, between the devil... and 471 more...
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ADW1
obdurate, obstinate, behest, injunction, enjoin, circumspect, ensconce, discursive, lugubrious, doleful, somber, ken and 2476 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for neophyte.

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