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

Examples of first-year in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Jai Lucas, Miami’s first-year head coach, said getting the double-bye will give his team more time to rest, which is needed as several players are banged up. Field Level Media, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2026 The first two weeks of full-squad camp have shown, at least in the cases of infielders Josh Smith, Freeman and Cauley, that first-year manager Skip Schumaker has a story from his own career that mirrors his players’ circumstances. Shawn McFarland, Dallas Morning News, 2 Mar. 2026 The Penguins under first-year head coach Dan Muse – a former Rangers assistant — lead the Rangers by 20 points in the Metropolitan Division. CBS News, 28 Feb. 2026 John Pulskamp totaled three saves for Sporting KC, which was coming off a 3-0 road loss to the San Jose Earthquakes to begin the season under first-year coach Raphael Wicky. ABC News, 28 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for first-year

Word History

First Known Use

1986, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of first-year was in 1986

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Cite this Entry

“First-year.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/first-year. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.

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