Meanings
newcomer1
plural newcomers · alternative new-comer · alternative new comer
- One who has recently come to a community; a recent arrival.
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 5503 more examples
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, →OCLCAs 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, →OCLCAmericans, 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 GuardianSynonyms: comeling
- A new participant in some activity; a neophyte.
Synonyms: newbie
Newcomer2
- A surname.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounOne who has recently come to a community; a recent arrival.
nounA new participant in some activity; a neophyte.
More synonyms by meaning
nounany new participant in some activity
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Englishnewe-comere
- Englishnewcomer
From Middle English newe-comere, equivalent to new- + comer. Compare Old English nīwcumen (“new comer, neophyte, novice”).
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans aankomeling, aankomeling
- aankomelingone who has recently arrived in a community
- aankomelingnew participant in some activity
Bulgarian пришелец, новак
- пришелец (prišelec)one who has recently arrived in a community
- новак (novak)new participant in some activity
- новодошъл (novodošăl)new participant in some activity
Catalan nouvingut, nouvinguda
- nouvingutone who has recently arrived in a community
- nouvingudaone who has recently arrived in a community
- novellnew participant in some activity
Chinese Mandarin 新人, 新手
- 新人 (xīnrén)one who has recently arrived in a community
- 新手 (xīnshǒu)new participant in some activity
Czech příchozí, nováček
- příchozíone who has recently arrived in a community
- nováčeknew participant in some activity
Danish nybegynder
- nybegynderone who has recently arrived in a community
Dutch nieuwkomer, nieuweling
- nieuwkomerone who has recently arrived in a community
- nieuwelingone who has recently arrived in a community
Finnish noviisi, aloittelija
- noviisione who has recently arrived in a community
- aloittelijaone who has recently arrived in a community
- vasta-alkajaone who has recently arrived in a community
- tulokasone who has recently arrived in a community
- noviisinew participant in some activity
- aloittelijanew participant in some activity
- vasta-alkajanew participant in some activity
- tulokasnew participant in some activity
French nouveau venu, nouvel arrivé
- nouveau venuone who has recently arrived in a community
- nouvel arrivéone who has recently arrived in a community
- débutantnew participant in some activity
- débutantenew participant in some activity
German Neuankömmling, Newcomer
- Neuankömmlingone who has recently arrived in a community
- Newcomerone who has recently arrived in a community
- Newcomerinone who has recently arrived in a community
- Neulingnew participant in some activity
- Newcomernew participant in some activity
- Newcomerinnew participant in some activity
Greek νεοφερμένος, νιόφερτος
- νεοφερμένος (neoferménos)one who has recently arrived in a community
- νιόφερτος (niófertos)one who has recently arrived in a community
- νεοφώτιστος (neofótistos)new participant in some activity
Hungarian jövevény
- jövevényone who has recently arrived in a community
Indonesian anak baru
- anak baruone who has recently arrived in a community
Italian nuovo arrivato, esordiente
- nuovo arrivatoone who has recently arrived in a community
- esordientenew participant in some activity
- debuttantenew participant in some activity
Japanese 新人, 新入り
- 新人 (shinjin)one who has recently arrived in a community
- 新入り (shin'iri)one who has recently arrived in a community
- 新参 (shinzan)one who has recently arrived in a community
- 新参者 (shinzanmono)one who has recently arrived in a community
- 新人 (shinjin)new participant in some activity
Korean 신입
- 신입 (sinip)one who has recently arrived in a community
Latvian jaunatnācējs, jaunatnācējs
- jaunatnācējsone who has recently arrived in a community
- jaunatnācējsnew participant in some activity
Lithuanian naujai atvykęs, ateivis
- naujai atvykęsone who has recently arrived in a community
- ateivisone who has recently arrived in a community
Māori waetapu
- waetapuone who has recently arrived in a community
Norwegian Bokmål nykommer, nykommer
- nykommerone who has recently arrived in a community
- nykommernew participant in some activity
Persian تازه وارد
- تازه وارد (tâze vâred)one who has recently arrived in a community
Polish przybysz, przybyszka
- przybyszone who has recently arrived in a community
- przybyszkaone who has recently arrived in a community
- nowicjusznew participant in some activity
- nowicjuszkanew participant in some activity
Portuguese recém-chegado, iniciante
- recém-chegadoone who has recently arrived in a community
- iniciantenew participant in some activity
Romanian nou-venit, nou-venită
- nou-venitone who has recently arrived in a community
- nou-venităone who has recently arrived in a community
- începătornew participant in some activity
- începătoarenew participant in some activity
- novicenew participant in some activity
- debutantnew participant in some activity
- debutantănew participant in some activity
Russian прише́лец, новичо́к
- прише́лец (prišélec)one who has recently arrived in a community
- новичо́к (newbie)one who has recently arrived in a community
- но́венький (nóvenʹkij)one who has recently arrived in a community
- новичо́к (novičók)new participant in some activity
- неофи́т (neofít)new participant in some activity
- начина́ющий (načinájuščij)new participant in some activity
Spanish recién llegado, recién llegada
- recién llegadoone who has recently arrived in a community
- recién llegadaone who has recently arrived in a community
- recental (adjectve)one who has recently arrived in a community
Swedish nykomling, nybörjare
- nykomlingone who has recently arrived in a community
- nybörjarenew participant in some activity
Turkish yeni gelen, yeni gelen
- yeni gelenone who has recently arrived in a community
- yeni gelennew participant in some activity
Ukrainian нове́нький, нове́нька
- нове́нький (novénʹkyj)one who has recently arrived in a community
- нове́нька (novénʹka)one who has recently arrived in a community
- новачо́к (novačók)one who has recently arrived in a community
- новачо́к (novačók)new participant in some activity
- той, хто почина́є (toj, xto počynáje)new participant in some activity
Welsh gŵr dyfod
- gŵr dyfodone who has recently arrived in a community
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with newcomer
All rhymes →Cite this entry
newcomer. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/newcomer
“newcomer.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/newcomer. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “newcomer,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/newcomer.
Source: newcomer on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.