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.
Their new aim under interim general manager John Mozeliak and first-year manager Kurt Suzuki (whose contract runs through this season) is avoiding the club’s first 100-loss campaign. Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026 The difference between a high school senior and a first-year college student is only a few months. Rebecca Stafford, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026 The Gators’ first-year coach will exit the south end zone tunnel Saturday night under the lights — and the microscope — while showered by cheers as a new era of Florida football begins against Florida Atlantic. Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026 Undrafted first-year free agent quarterback Jalon Daniels will open the 2026 NFL season not on an NFL team’s practice squad but on the official 53-man roster of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 31 Aug. 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 4 Sep. 2026.

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