freshman

noun

fresh·​man ˈfresh-mən 

often attributive

1

: a student in the first year of high school or college

2

: beginner, newcomer

especially : a person who is starting a job or activity

freshman lawmakers

Synonyms of freshman

• novice
• rookie
• newcomer
• beginner
• apprentice

Examples of freshman in a Sentence

My daughter's a freshman at UCLA.

He was the best freshman in professional basketball this year.

Recent Examples on the Web

This was a player who was so good in high school that his coach regretted not making an exception to his longstanding rule against playing freshmen on varsity. — Sam Jane, Denver Post, 10 Oct. 2026

By the end of spring, four main contenders emerged in sophomores Buchanan and SJ Alofaituli and freshmen Congdon and Jackson Cantwell. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2026

But perhaps most important on her late summer agenda was dropping her son Wyatt off at college to begin his freshman year. — Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 9 Oct. 2026

The career included its hiccups, a not-yet-ready-for-primetime quarterback thrust into a starting role as a freshman, an on-campus protest in which the football team was lodged and, well, not as many wins as anyone involved would have liked. — Sam McDowell 9, Kansas City Star, 9 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1557, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing freshman

• freshman orientation
• pre-freshman

Rhymes for freshman

• freshmen

Kids Definition

freshman

noun

fresh·​man ˈfresh-mən 

1

: beginner, newcomer

2

: a student in the first year (as of high school or college)