Newcomer Meaning
/ˈnjuːkʌmə/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounOne who has recently come to a community; a recent arrival.
nounA new participant in some activity; a neophyte.
Sentence Examples
The newcomer sat down at the foot of the table.
The newcomer fell short of our expectation.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ was confused by the office rules on his first day at work.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
As a ____ to the city, everything seemed very exciting and unfamiliar to her.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English newe-comere, equivalent to new- + comer. Compare Old English nīwcumen (“new comer, neophyte, novice”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Welcome, we²l'ku²m. a.
Received with gladneſs, admitted willingly, grateful[…]
Welcome, we²l'ku²m. interj.
A form of ſalutation uſed to a new comer."
— 1791, John Walker, A Critical Pronouncing Dictionary […] , London: Sold by G. G. J. and J. Robinſon, Paternoſter Row; and T. Cadell, in the Strand, →OCLC, page 550:
"This new-comer was a man who in any company would have seemed striking. In complexion fair, and with blue or gray eyes, he was tall as any Viking, as broad in the shoulder."
— 1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
"As soon as Julia returned with a constable, Timothy, who was on the point of exhaustion, prepared to give over to him gratefully. The newcomer turned out to be a powerful youngster, fully trained and eager to help, and he stripped off his tunic at once."
— 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 19, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
"Americans, for example, call newcomers to Antarctica “fingies”, which comes from FNGs – a borrowed military abbreviation that means “Fucking New Guy”."
— 2024 June 20, Eva Corlett, “Fidlets, fingies and riding a doo: study sheds light on Antarctic English slang”, in The Guardian:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ was confused by the office rules on his first day at work.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
As a ____ to the city, everything seemed very exciting and unfamiliar to her.