upperclassman

noun

up·​per·​class·​man ˌə-pər-ˈklas-mən How to pronounce upperclassman (audio)
: a member of the junior or senior class in a school or college

Examples of upperclassman in a Sentence

Only upperclassmen can go off-campus for lunch.
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 men’s team won a conference championship last season and was built on a core of upperclassmen led by seventh-year senior Alex Garcia, who helped build the program. Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2025 To go against the grain of Duke’s talented youth, Houston not only has a roster full of upperclassmen, but a roster that has plenty of experience under Sampson. Tyler Small, Forbes.com, 1 Apr. 2025 Thomas’ confidence was, in many ways, a product of de Lannoy’s coaching, where his friendly and encouraging demeanor helped Thomas grow from a shy freshman to a vocal upperclassman. Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News, 9 Feb. 2025 The 2021 Baylor and 2022 Kansas national championship squads were nearly entirely composed of upperclassmen, and UConn started just one freshman for each of its back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024. Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 27 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for upperclassman

Word History

First Known Use

1871, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of upperclassman was in 1871

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Cite this Entry

“Upperclassman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upperclassman. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

upperclassman

noun
up·​per·​class·​man ˌəp-ər-ˈklas-mən How to pronounce upperclassman (audio)
: a student in the third or fourth year of a four-year college or a high school

More from Merriam-Webster on upperclassman

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