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 Razorbacks are expected to be plenty busy in the portal again under first-year Coach Ryan Silverfield after going through major roster overhauls in recent years under Sam Pittman. Tom Murphy, Arkansas Online, 1 Jan. 2026 The first-year student from Novi hasn't had to take loans out yet but plans to later in his college experience. CBS News, 31 Dec. 2025 Now, first-year coach David Adelman is tasked with navigating them through a daunting series of short- and long-term obstacles. Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 30 Dec. 2025 The Jaguars and Patriots are way ahead of schedule with their first-year coaches, but schedules imply order. Vic Tafur, New York Times, 30 Dec. 2025 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 2 Jan. 2026.

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