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uninitiate

uninitiate

9.9
A person who is new and has little knowledge of a subject or activity
  • noun
  • /ˌʌnɪˈnɪʃiˌeɪt/
translation icon : no iniciado
  • Imagery such as the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit panel was beyond the understanding of the uninitiate, accessible only to the literati.
  • uninitiate and initiate

Examples

  • This would not have decreased its general impact on the uninitiate, however, who would have implicitly recognized that the monks knew the meaning of these images even if he or she did not, a dynamic that asserted the monks' elite knowledge and affirmed their privileged social status as well as the uninitiate's own inferior position.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Part of this context is his recognition that the pope has a responsibility to both "the wise and the foolish," that is, to both the initiate and the uninitiate, precisely the same justification he used in the Apologia for the use of religious art within the secular Church.

    Academic text (2011)
  • And this uninitiate would, no doubt, have been visually overwhelmed by the sensory saturation of the holy place through the impact of the entire program, including such "ornamental" windows as the Griffin windows (Fig. 8).

    Academic text (2011)
  • This would not have decreased its general impact on the uninitiate, however, who would have implicitly recognized that the monks knew the meaning of these images even if he or she did not, a dynamic that asserted the monks' elite knowledge and affirmed their privileged social status as well as the uninitiate's own inferior position.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Even if the "educated elite" of this new dynamic ranked in only the second level of the three-level hierarchy, they could claim to be in the rank of the initiate in the two-level hierarchy of the uninitiate and initiate, although their elite knowledge may have been far less than that of the monk or canon regular.

    Academic text (2011)
  • In claiming to be accessible only to the litterati, Suger’s panel and the other exegetically based works of art in his program acted as a statement of self-identity not just to the uninitiate but to the full spectrum of the initiated as well.

    Academic text (2011)
  • As an uninitiate in the world of ballet, she felt lost during the first rehearsal.

  • The workshop is designed for the uninitiate who wants to learn the basics of painting.

  • The uninitiate often finds the technical jargon confusing and overwhelming.

Synonyms

beginner
vsuninitiate
81 1.0

A person who has just started to learn or do something

can apply more broadly to those not introduced, not only people who just started
newbie
vsuninitiate
  • Slang
60 4.7

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

is a neutral term used for people unfamiliar or inexperienced
novice
vsuninitiate
46 3.4

A person new to an activity who has little experience

includes also those not introduced to the field as well as inexperienced people
neophyte
vsuninitiate
9 8.4

A person new to a subject, skill, or belief

also covers people unfamiliar because they were never introduced to the area

Antonyms

8 6.9

A person new to a group, often accepted after a ceremony

How Experienced

master
791 4.2
expert
3.2
practitioner
120 4.0
beginner
81 1.0
uninitiate
9.9

Surface Forms

uninitiate singular
uninitiates plural

Morphology

uninitiate = initiate (transparent) = un + initiate

The meaning is the straightforward negative of 'initiate' formed with productive English prefix 'un-', so learners who know 'initiate' can infer the meaning.

Etymology

The word uninitiate is made of un- 'not' and initiate 'to begin', the same root as initial. So an uninitiate is a person who has not been introduced to something and therefore lacks experience.