first-class

1 of 2

adjective

ˈfərs(t)-ˈklas 

1

: of or relating to first class

2

: of the highest quality

a first-class meal

first-class adverb

first class

2 of 2

noun

: the first or highest group in a classification: such as

a

: the highest class of travel accommodations

b

: a class of mail that comprises letters, postcards, or matter sealed against inspection

Synonyms of first-class

Adjective

• excellent
• superb
• wonderful
• terrific
• great
• lovely
• beautiful
• fantastic
• awesome
• fabulous
• stellar
• prime
• marvelous
• fine
• quality

Examples of first-class in a Sentence

Adjective

a first-class production of a classic American musical

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Nikolay Zhukovsky, the third-class controller, was working under the direction of first-class controller Vladimir Sumskoy. — Colin Millar, New York Times, 27 June 2026

Simple, sophisticated, and elevated, this matching shorts set is worthy of a first-class upgrade. — Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 26 June 2026

Noun

Software engineers have arguably been the first class of workers to see the technology upend their jobs, as programming tools like Anthropic’s Claude Code and OpenAI’s Codex have exploded in popularity. — Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 24 June 2026

The new Tarrant County Sheriff’s Training Academy has welcomed its first class of recruits to work as detention officers across the region. — Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1819, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1616, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for first-class

• alas
• amass
• bromegrass
• bypass
• crabgrass
• crevasse
• eelgrass
• eyeglass
• groundmass
• harass
• impasse
• jackass

Kids Definition

first-class

1 of 2 adjective

1

: of or relating to first class

2

: of the highest quality : excellent

a first-class meal

first class

2 of 2 noun

: the best or highest group in a classification