beginner

Someone who is just starting at something, or has only recently started.

Noun

  1. Someone who is just starting at something, or has only recently started.
    • I'm new to learning Finnish: I'm just a beginner.
  2. Someone who sets something in motion.
    • The beginner of the games lit the ceremonial torch.
  3. An actor who is present on stage in the first moments of a play.
    • On the stage, the beginners for the first piece had taken their places — the chorus were there, scared but determined, and in the wings waited Harlequin, in the person of Charles Lyall […] - 1949, Walter Macqueen-Pope,...

Origin

From Middle English begynner, equivalent to begin + -er. Cognate with West Frisian begjinner (“beginner”), Dutch beginner (“beginner”), Low German begünner (“beginner”), Danish nybegynder (“beginner, novice”, literally “new-beginner”).

Forms

beginners

Synonyms

amateur newbie abecedarian alphabetarian apprentice beginner bun colt first-timer fledgling FNG fresh meat freshman greenhorn greenie greener homo novus inceptor initiate Johnny-come-lately learner neophyte newb newbro

Antonyms

campaigner cognoscente connoisseur expert journeyman knowbie master maven old hand old sweat oldbie oldtimer skilled person specialist trouper veteran

Hypernyms

person

Hyponyms

baby gay baby queer baby trans catechumen cheechako debutante fanling fresher frosh Johnny Raw landlubber neofan neo new bug novi punter rick sprog teejay

Related

new naive inexperienced unskilled person

Derived

beginnerish beginner slope beginner's trap prebeginner