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

Flory Bidunga, a player who seemed occasionally lost defensively as a freshman, became the Big 12 Conference defensive player of the year and a finalist for the national award as a sophomore. —Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 2 Apr. 2026

The team leader also has a lot of support from sophomore forward Sarah Strong, who leads UConn in points, rebounds, blocks, and steals. —Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 2 Apr. 2026

Adjective

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

The first time Patrick Thaw saw his University of Michigan friends together since sophomore year ended was bittersweet. —Makiya Seminera, Fortune, 26 Jan. 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