Novitiate, alt. noviciate,'s the period of training and preparation that a novice (or prospective) monastic or member of a religious order undergoes prior to taking vows in order to discern whether they're called to the religious life. A novice's free to quit the novitiate at any time, and the Superior's free to dismiss them with or without cause. During the novitiate, the novice's often clothed in special clothing which, while distinct from secular dress isn't the full habit worn by professed… (More on Novitiate)