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.
Without aid, Davidson’s tuition will run a first-year student about $73,000. Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 6 July 2026 Bill negotiation services cost 35% to 60% of the first-year savings, if the negotiation is successful. Kelsey Neubauer, CNBC, 8 July 2026 With more than 150 acts on the bill and impressive buzz heading into the first-year event, Blucifer’s provides an opportunity to introduce the space to a core audience of music lovers, Brown said. John Wenzel, Denver Post, 8 July 2026 The researchers observed this pattern in multiple settings, including conversations between strangers, first-year college students getting to know dorm mates and adults participating in a personal development workshop. Kim Meninger, Forbes.com, 8 July 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 10 Jul. 2026.

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