ENGLISH
REFERENCE

inexperienced

adj.
B1 Intermediate US //ɪnɪkˈspɪɹiənst// UK //ˌɪnɛkspˈiəɹɪənst// in·ex·pe·ri·enced

adj. having little or no knowledge or skill in a particular job or activity. You use this to describe someone who is new to a task and still learning.

adj. lacking the knowledge, skill, or proficiency gained through practice or exposure. Often used to describe a professional or social status relative to a specific field.


SIMPLE

The company hired an inexperienced assistant for the summer.

CONTEXTUAL

Because the hikers were inexperienced, they failed to bring enough water for the steep mountain trail.

COMPLEX

While the candidate showed great potential, the board felt she was too inexperienced to manage a department of fifty people during such a volatile economic period.

Antonyms
Origin

From in- + experienced.

Usage

Commonly followed by the preposition 'in' or 'at' when specifying a field or activity.

Pitfall

he is unexperiencedhe is inexperiencedWhile 'un-' is a common prefix for adjectives, 'inexperienced' is the standard form; 'unexperienced' is considered non-standard or archaic.

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