novices

Noun

novice (plural novices)

1. A beginner; one who is not very familiar or experienced in a particular subject.
   • I'm only a novice at coding, so my programs frequently have bugs that more experienced programmers would avoid.
2. A new member of a religious order accepted on a conditional basis, prior to confirmation.
   • Nor had it been difficult to find a Coptic priest who, together with his youthful novice, chanted the seemingly interminable Egyptian service of the dead […]1983, Lawrence Durrell, Sebastian, Faber & Faber 2004 (Avignon Quintet), page 1137

See all 3 meanings of novice