first edition

noun

: the copies of a literary work first printed from the same type and issued at the same time
also : a single copy from a first edition

Examples of first edition in a Sentence

There were many errors in the book's first edition. She owns a valuable first edition of Huckleberry Finn.
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.
As lawn tennis gained popularity over the next few years, the club added the sport to its offerings and the first edition of The Championships—open only to men, with 21 competitors—was held in 1877. Tim Newcomb, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025 Browsing in a roadside junk shop in Maryland, Schulz happened upon a first edition of Langston Hughes’s Ask Your Mama personally inscribed by Hughes to a William Kelley. Benjamin Hale june 23, Literary Hub, 23 June 2025 Welcome to the first edition of The Athletic’s Club World Cup daily power rankings, our look at who’s hot, who’s not, and how the struggle for global club supremacy is shaking out. Jeff Rueter, New York Times, 18 June 2025 As for what would mark a successful first edition for the new manager, the answer is simple: connections. Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 13 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for first edition

Word History

First Known Use

1542, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of first edition was in 1542

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Cite this Entry

“First edition.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/first%20edition. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

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