freshman

noun

fresh·​man ˈfresh-mən 

often attributive

1

: a student in the first year of high school or college

2

: beginner, newcomer

especially : a person who is starting a job or activity

freshman lawmakers

Synonyms of freshman

• novice
• rookie
• newcomer
• beginner
• apprentice

Examples of freshman in a Sentence

My daughter's a freshman at UCLA.

He was the best freshman in professional basketball this year.

Recent Examples on the Web

Atlantic Coast Conference freshman of the year Caden Glauber held the Trojans at bay for most of the game, striking out a career high 11 batters in 7 ⅓ innings. —Alan Cole, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2026

However, freshman leadoff hitter Ryan Aldrich drew a walk to open the game before Jake Reyngold smoked a fastball into the left-center field gap that scored Aldrich and landed Reyngold at third. —Jack Murray, Boston Herald, 7 June 2026

Ashten Prechtel, a Stanford freshman when Fignall was a senior, joined the team on an injury hardship contract in early May and after that expired, signed a player development contract. —Laurence Miedema, Mercury News, 7 June 2026

For Hanford West, freshman Erika Fernandez was 2-for-3 with four RBIs. —Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1557, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing freshman

• freshman orientation
• pre-freshman

Rhymes for freshman

• freshmen

Kids Definition

freshman

noun

fresh·​man ˈfresh-mən 

1

: beginner, newcomer

2

: a student in the first year (as of high school or college)