- For the city in Texas, see Novice, Texas.
A novitiate (also called a novice) is a member of a religious order who has not yet taken his/her vows. Novices were cared for by older monks until the novice has met requirments. The Council of Trent made everyone aspiring to become a monk a novice for at least one year.
Novitiate can also refer to the period of time that someone spends in the order before taking vows. It often is used to describe any person that is new or not met normal requirements.