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

The Commanders will slot in at third, with a roster that doesn’t have as many holes as the Giants’, but enough to make the Commanders an unknown, especially with two first-year coordinators. —Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 15 May 2026

Citadel Securities is also overhauling its first-year analyst program to be less role-specific and more focused on critical thinking. —Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 15 May 2026

Fast forward to this past February, when Portland Sea Dogs pitching coach Juan Rivera recalled seeing the first-year pro take the mound for his first live batting practice of the spring in Fort Myers. —Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 15 May 2026

This was an eval from first-year edge coach Larry Knight. —Jeff Sentell, AJC.com, 15 May 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