noun
- the state or period of being a novice of a religious order or congregation.
- the quarters occupied by religious novices during probation.
- the state or period of being a beginner in anything.
- a novice.
noun
- the state of being a novice, esp in a religious order, or the period for which this lasts
- the part of a religious house where the novices live
- a less common word for novice
n.also noviciate, “state of being a novice,” c.1600, from Middle French noviciat or directly from Medieval Latin novitiatus, from Late Latin novitius “novice,” from Latin adjective novicius (see novice).