sophomore

1 of 2

noun

soph·​o·​more ˈsäf-ˌmȯr 

also ˈsȯf-

or ˈsä-fə-

or ˈsȯ-fə-

: a student in the second year at college or a 4-year secondary school

sophomore

2 of 2

adjective

: being or associated with the second in a series

their sophomore album

Examples of sophomore in a Sentence

Noun

She's a sophomore in high school.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The medical hit’s sophomore season follows workers at the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center during a 15-hour shift on the Fourth of July. —Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026

He got moved up as a sophomore for football. —Paul Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026

Adjective

The first time Patrick Thaw saw his University of Michigan friends together since sophomore year ended was bittersweet. —Makiya Seminera, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026

Aguilera was a sophomore political science major at Texas A&M who would have turned 20 years old on Jan. 25. —Annasofia Scheve, San Antonio Express-News, 4 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

earlier sophy mor, soph-mor, probably from sophom, sophem, sophyme (early Modern English variants of sophism) + -or entry 1; later reanalyzed as Greek sophós "clever, wise" + -o- + mōrós "foolish, stupid"

First Known Use

Noun

1688, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1953, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for sophomore

• albacore
• alongshore
• antiwar
• anymore
• blastopore
• carnivore
• commodore
• dinosaur
• evermore
• furthermore
• guarantor
• herbivore

Kids Definition

sophomore

noun

soph·​o·​more

ˈsäf-ˌmō(ə)r, 

-ˌmȯ(ə)r;

ˈsäf-ᵊm-ˌō(ə)r, 

-ˌȯ(ə)r

: a student in his or her second year at a 4-year high school or college