A person who has entered a religious order but has not yet taken final vows. Also called novitiate.
[Middle English, from Old French, from Medieval Latin novīcius, from Latin, recently entered into a condition, from Latin novus, new; see newo- in Indo-European roots.]
no·vi·ti·ate also no·vi·ci·ate (nō-vĭsh'ē-ĭt, -āt') n.