different between novice vs layman

English

Etymology

From Middle English novice, novys, from Anglo-Norman novice, Middle French novice, itself borrowed from Latin nov?cius, later novitius (“new, newly arrived”) (in Late Latin as a noun, masculine novicius, feminine novicia (“one who has newly entered a monastery or a convent”)), from novus (“new”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?n?v?s/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?n??v?s/

Noun

novice (plural novices)

1. A beginner; one who is not very familiar or experienced in a particular subject. [from 14th c.]

   I'm only a novice at coding, and my programs frequently have bugs that more experienced programmers would avoid.

3. (religion) A new member of a religious order accepted on a conditional basis, prior to confirmation. [from 14th c.]
   • 1983, Lawrence Durrell, Sebastian, Faber & Faber 2004 (Avignon Quintet), page 1137:

     Nor had it been difficult to find a Coptic priest who, together with his youthful novice, chanted the seemingly interminable Egyptian service of the dead […]

Synonyms

• (person new to an activity): amateur, greenhorn, learner, neophyte, newbie, newling
• See also Thesaurus:beginner

Related terms

• novel
• novelization
• novelize
• novella
• novelty
• novitiate

Translations

Further reading

• novice in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• novice in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• novice at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

• nocive

French

Etymology

From Middle French novice, from Old French novice, borrowed from Late Latin nov?cius, nov?cia (“one who has newly entered a monastery or a convent”), from Latin nov?cius, nov?tius (“new, newly arrived”), from novus (“new”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /n?.vis/

Noun

novice m or f (plural novices)

1. beginner, novice

Adjective

novice (plural novices)

1. inexperienced

Further reading

• “novice” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Norman

Etymology

From Old French novice, borrowed from Late Latin nov?cius, nov?cia (“one who has newly entered a monastery or a convent”), from Latin nov?cius, nov?tius (“new, newly arrived”), from novus (“new”).

Noun

novice m or f (plural novices)

1. (Jersey) novice

Romanian

Etymology

From French novice.

Noun

novice m (plural novici)

1. novice

Declension

English

Etymology

From Middle English lay +? man.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?le?m?n/
• Rhymes: -e?m?n

Noun

layman (plural laymen)

1. Layperson, someone who is not an ordained cleric or member of the clergy.
2. (by extension) Someone who is not a professional in a given field.

3. A common person.
4. A person who is untrained or lacks knowledge of a subject.
   • 2005, Plato, Sophist. Translation by Lesley Brown. 221d.

     should he be held to be just a layman, or does he have some art?

5. A generally ignorant person.
6. Lay-sister or lay-brother, person received into a convent of monks, following the vows, but not being member of the order.

Antonyms

• cleric
• priest
• monk
• friar
• expert
• specialist
• professional

Derived terms

• in layman's terms

Related terms

• laity

Translations

Anagrams

• yalman