English · Word Candidate

rookie

/ˈɹʊki/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: rookies · rookier · rookiest · rookying

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

An inexperienced recruit, especially in the police or armed forces.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Một người mới tuyển, đặc biệt là trong cảnh sát hoặc lực lượng vũ trang

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Examples

Corbett is convinced it was a systemic failure: "The Thames Train was driven by a rookie driver who had only just come into the job. It is, in fact, difficult to run through a red light, because you have to cancel the Automatic Warning System (AWS) and so on. But he continued for 700 yards and he ac

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

A novice.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Một người mới bắt đầu

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Non-professional; amateur

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Không chuyên nghiệp; nghiệp dư

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Adjective

Examples

The game was going well until I made that rookie mistake.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To be a rookie; to go through one's inexperienced learning period in a job, team, or organization.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Là một người mới; trải qua giai đoạn học tập thiếu kinh nghiệm trong công việc, đội hoặc tổ chức

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Verb

Examples

In 1977 he rookied as a smokejumper with the International Forest Fire Systems, a private firm that contracted smokejumping services to Canada's Northwest Territories.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “rookie” mean?

An inexperienced recruit, especially in the police or armed forces.

Is “rookie” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.