Meaning & use
rookie
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountableinformal
A person who is new to a job or activity and has little experience, especially in sports and the police.
Grammar: Has a plural: one rookie, two rookies.
Patterns
- a rookie at something
The rookie scored two goals in her first game.
As a rookie, he was given the night shift.
The team signed three rookies this season.
adjectivebefore a nouninformal
Being new and not yet experienced in a job or activity.
Grammar: Comes before a noun: a rookie cop.
Patterns
- a rookie mistake
Forgetting to save the file was a rookie mistake.
The rookie quarterback played well under pressure.
She is a rookie teacher, but the students like her.
Word forms
| plural | rookies |
|---|
Common combinations
- rookie mistake
- Leaving the keys in the car was a rookie mistake.
- rookie of the year
- He was named rookie of the year.
- rookie season
- Her rookie season was full of surprises.
- rookie cop
- The rookie cop was nervous on his first patrol.
Synonyms and how they differ
- beginner
- Beginner is neutral and can describe any learner, while rookie suggests someone just starting a career in a team or job.
- novice
- Novice is more formal and often used for someone learning a skill.
- newcomer
- Newcomer simply means someone who has recently arrived, without any suggestion of weak skills.
- greenhorn
- Greenhorn is old-fashioned and more teasing than rookie.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: rookie or rooky?
rookie vs rooky
A rare spelling that is sometimes used by mistake. The common word is rookie.
Practice
Missing the first meeting was a classic ____ mistake.
Choose one answer.
A rookie mistake is one that a beginner would make. The other options describe experienced people.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “rookie”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.