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I am looking for an adjective, a compound adjective or adjective phrase that would fill in the blanks below

He is a [...] stamp collector.
= He recently became a stamp collector.

She is a [...] mailwoman.
= She recently became a mailwoman.

The meaning I am looking for is that of a person being new to an activity, which is now performed by them regularly, in a positive sense.

Jakub
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    Is the person a newbie or are you looking for a more formal adjective? There might be a different adjective in each case, for example an inexperienced worker can be called a rookie, especially in a uniformed service. There are alternative phrasings too: He has taken up stamp collecting. She has trained to be a mailwoman. – Weather Vane Mar 26 '20 at 20:25
  • I am looking for an informal adjective. I think He has taken up stamp collecting. would be the closest alternative phrasing. In contrast, "newbie" or "rookie" feel like they've got a slight negative hint to them. – Jakub Mar 26 '20 at 20:35
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    Novice /'navɪs/ is the traditional name for someone new to an occupation or activity. – John Lawler Mar 26 '20 at 20:46
  • Another frequently used term is neophyte. Both neophyte and novice are classed as nouns in many dictionaries (I have just looked up both in Merriam-Webster and Cambridge, just to check, and that is the case there), but I have often heard them used "adjectivally": for example, a neophyte politican or a novice stamp collector. – Isabel Archer Jul 11 '20 at 18:48

2 Answers2

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If you want to put people to sleep, you could say neophyte.

Better:

  • a beginner stamp collector

  • a just-starting-out stamp collector

  • a recently-hired letter carrier

  • a new-hire letter carrier

I wouldn't say new stamp collector. That could be someone who collects new stamps.

And Mailwoman isn't as common an expression as letter carrier—a term invented to correct the sexist (and redundant) mailman. (Of course the man's a male. Come on.)

Charlie Bernstein
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A beginner or novice is a “tyro”.

The Latin root word (also “tyro”) means a new recruit / inexperienced soldier.

Chris Johnson
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