first-year
noun
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
Jan McCoy EbbetsExamples of first-year in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
All contributed as first-year players, but some better than most.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 25 Apr. 2026
DeBlock also has impressed first-year coach Shane Colvin, a former assistant and a 2008 Illiana Christian graduate.
—Michael Osipoff, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
Proctor will more than likely be put opposite Patrick Paul, who had a promising season as the Dolphins first-year starting left tackle in 2025, could create gargantuan bookends for the offensive line considering Proctor is 6-foot-6, 352 pounds and Paul is 6-foot-7, 326 pounds.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
Lawrence is an interdisciplinary performance artist, playwright, dancer and first-year UCSD MFA playwriting student.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for first-year
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 25 Apr. 2026
DeBlock also has impressed first-year coach Shane Colvin, a former assistant and a 2008 Illiana Christian graduate.
—Michael Osipoff, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
Proctor will more than likely be put opposite Patrick Paul, who had a promising season as the Dolphins first-year starting left tackle in 2025, could create gargantuan bookends for the offensive line considering Proctor is 6-foot-6, 352 pounds and Paul is 6-foot-7, 326 pounds.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
Lawrence is an interdisciplinary performance artist, playwright, dancer and first-year UCSD MFA playwriting student.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for first-year
Cite this Entry
“First-year.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/first-year. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
