Word of the Day - 03/06/26
neophyte
/'niə,faɪt/(n.): a person who is new to a subject, skill, or belief
Everyone watching the Winter Olympics believed that even as a neophyte, they would easily find success in curling.
(n.): a new convert to a religion (particularly Christianity), or to a religious order
As a neophyte in the church, she attended every service diligently, eager to understand the beliefs she had recently embraced.
Word Origin
The word 'neophyte' comes from Greek, combining 'neos' (new) and 'phytos' (grown, planted, or plant). It literally means 'newly planted' or 'new convert'. In ecclesiastical use, it referred to a new convert to Christianity or a newly ordained priest.
Words with 'neo-' include neoclassical, neon, neologism, and neolithic. Words with '-phyte' include sporophyte, hydrophyte, and zoophyte.