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.
Savannah State of Mind follows the lives of seven first-year students navigating the joys, challenges and complexities of college life at a historically Black college. Peter White, Deadline, 25 Feb. 2026 The three first-year starters in the batting lineup — Jackson Cotton, Tanner Carson and Clayton Namken — recorded seven of the Bobcats' 11 hits and four runs batted in. Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 25 Feb. 2026 Amid many what-ifs, the study estimates the first-year operating cost of a startup police force at $100 million, much higher than BSO’s current cost of $75 million. Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 25 Feb. 2026 The Falcons have informed Cousins that he will be released on March 11, the first day of the new league year, and first-year general manager Ian Cunningham said Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine that the Falcons will not re-sign him this offseason. Josh Kendall, New York Times, 24 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“First-year.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/first-year. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster