freshman

noun

fresh·​man ˈfresh-mən How to pronounce freshman (audio)
often attributive
1
: a student in the first year of high school or college
2
: beginner, newcomer
especially : a person who is starting a job or activity
freshman lawmakers

Examples of freshman in a Sentence

My daughter's a freshman at UCLA. He was the best freshman in professional basketball this year.
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 1994 freshman class had 87 members — 73 Republicans against 14 Democrats. David Mark, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025 The two met in freshman year in the dorms and quickly became inseparable. Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025 His brother, a freshman, is vice president. Matthew Cupelli, The Enquirer, 12 Sep. 2025 The medical drama’s freshman season is also set to air on TNT. Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 12 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for freshman

Word History

First Known Use

1557, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of freshman was in 1557

Cite this Entry

“Freshman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/freshman. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

freshman

noun
fresh·​man ˈfresh-mən How to pronounce freshman (audio)
1
2
: a student in the first year (as of high school or college)

More from Merriam-Webster on freshman

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