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.
The bill would require 95% of the first-year, undergraduate fall enrollment at those five universities to be Florida residents. Camila Gomez, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Feb. 2026 On Saturday, Addison Seibert and the Bulldogs, who start three sophomores and two juniors under first-year coach Brad Stangel, won their first sectional title since 2022. Michael Osipoff, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026 Arkansas and Florida will also have first-year head coaches. David Eckert, Austin American Statesman, 10 Feb. 2026 As the Pennsylvania State Police continue their investigation into the crash, those who knew Gingo couldn't speak highly enough of the first-year student. Jessica Riley, CBS News, 8 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 14 Feb. 2026.

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