first-year

noun

ˈfərst-ˌyir 

variants or first year

plural first-years or first years

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

Experts say fledgling first-years can expect to experience the thrill of autonomy, of being in the driver's seat for what may be the first time ever.

—Jan McCoy Ebbets

Examples of first-year in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Several other quarterbacks have moved on from Notre Dame, most recently Kenny Minchey, who will be the centerpiece of a new-look Kentucky offense under first-year coach Will Stein and new offensive coordinator Joe Sloan. — Tom Layberger, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026

The first-year Falcons coach kept the details of Tagovailoa’s injury secret, saying that one of the perks of training camp is not having to divulge every detail. — ABC News, 29 July 2026

Of the California residents accepted for first-year studies, 34% would be the first generation in their families to attend college, and 36% are from low-income backgrounds. — Sofia Williams, Sacbee.com, 29 July 2026

Offers to international first-year applicants rose 6% to 23,569, up from 17,420 in 2023. — Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1986, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for first-year

• atmosphere
• biosphere
• centromere
• chemosphere
• chromosphere
• hemisphere
• hydrosphere
• lithosphere
• mesosphere
• microsphere
• miserere
• mountaineer