Noun
The state of being a novice; time of initiation or instruction in rudiments.
Hence: Time of probation in a religious house before taking the vows.
One who is going through a novitiate, or period of probation; a novice.
The place where novices live or are trained.
Source: Webster's dictionaryAfter the novitiate, a man makes his first profession, or vows, for one year, he said. Source: Internet
Fr Manh spent the first five years of life in Brazil working in formation at the novitiate, which was located in the countryside outside Sao Paulo city. Source: Internet
Three junior professed sisters made their final profession of vows, three novices made their first profession of vows and one postulant was received into the novitiate. Source: Internet
Despite Hopkins burning all his poems on entering the Jesuit novitiate, he had already sent some to Bridges who, with a few other friends, was one of the few people to see many of them for some years. Source: Internet
He entered the Roman novitiate in 1560, remaining in Rome three years. Source: Internet