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

Mostly an interior tackle, Echoles did a little bit of everything up front for the Rebels in his sophomore season (39 pressures as a first-year starter). — Nick Baumgardner, New York Times, 22 July 2026

Its first-year men’s team has already broken the USL League One regular-season attendance record multiple times. — Idaho Statesman, 16 July 2026

Starting salaries at Blue Valley for first-year teachers with a bachelor’s degree sit just above $52,000 per year, according to district data. — Taylor O'Connor 15, Kansas City Star, 15 July 2026

Long Beach Poly, making its debut under first-year coach Travon Patterson, will have lots of options on defense because of its standout cornerbacks in Donte Wright and JuJu Johnson. — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 12 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