Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
first-time user

first-time user

1 2.8
A person using something for the first time
  • noun
translation icon : usuario novel
  • As a first-time user, she appreciated the step-by-step guide provided with her new smartphone.

Examples

  • I was wondering, for a first-time user, when I finish, how much should I start to charge clients for an excellent web page?

    Blog text (27)

  • The CD-ROM also contains a 16-minute film that helps introduce first-time users to the program.

    Academic text (1997)

  • I am a first-time user, so I hope that this will assist me.

    Blog text (33)

  • The demonstrations will play a key part in helping first-time users adapt to Windows 8 and the new features of the platform.

    Blog text (8)

  • Keys are often passed on and first-time users are sometimes uncertain of protocol.

    The Da Vinci Code (2006)

  • Figures 1, 2, and 3 are intended to anticipate many of the common questions and to allay some of the fears of first-time users.

    Academic text (1998)

  • As a first-time user, I did not find the search results very intuitive, but I suppose that is true for any new venture upon first trespass.

    Blog text (7)

  • Also, it might not be obvious for a first-time user that there are actually multiple templates hiding below the text Home and that’s not simply some text but a button.

    Blog text (8)

  • The online tutorial is designed specifically for first-time users to help them navigate the software easily.

  • Many first-time users found the app's features simple to understand after watching the introductory video.

Synonyms

rookie
vsfirst-time user
  • Informal
276 3.7

A person new to a job or activity who has little experience

applies to initial use of an item rather than joining a role or team
beginner
vsfirst-time user
81 1.0

A person who has just started to learn or do something

focuses on initial use of an item rather than ongoing learning
newbie
vsfirst-time user
  • Slang
60 4.7

A person who is new to a job or activity and has little experience

refers to initial use of an item, not general lack of experience
neophyte
vsfirst-time user
9 8.4

A person new to a subject, skill, or belief

is about initial use of an item, not general study or beliefs
noob
vsfirst-time user
  • Offensive
8 8.4

A person who is new and not skilled at games or online groups

means initial use of an item without the insult or online focus
firster
vsfirst-time user
  • Informal
8.2

A person who does something for the first time

is specifically about using an item on its initial occasion

How Skilled

guru
57 5.5
expert
3 3.5
techie
  • Informal
20 6.3
novice
46 3.4
first-time user
1 2.8

Surface Forms

first-time user singular
first-time users plural

Morphology

first-time + user

The meaning 'a person who is using something for the first time' is directly and transparently compositional from 'first' + 'time' plus 'user'; a B1 learner who knows 'first', 'time' and 'user' can infer this meaning without prior exposure. The hyphenated form simply marks a compound adjective and follows a common, cross-linguistic pattern of combining ordinal/temporal elements with nouns.

Etymology

The phrase first-time user comes from the simple picture of a first-time person trying a new product: the user opens the box, reads the guide and learns the buttons. So, it means 'a person who is using something for the first time'.