1. people who are new to and inexperienced in a job or situation
Usage: plural of novice
2. people who have recently entered a religious order but have not yet taken final vows
Usage: religious context; plural of novice

Examples

• The cooking class was designed for complete novices.
• These novices need more training before they can work independently.
• The monastery welcomed three new novices this year.
• As novices, they struggled with the basic techniques.
• The instructor was patient with the novices in the group.
• Several novices were preparing for their final vows.
• The novices made many mistakes during their first week.