freshman

noun

fresh·​man ˈfresh-mən How to pronounce freshman (audio)
Synonyms of freshmannext
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

Synonyms of freshman

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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 Buckeyes were forced to turn to freshman quarterback Luke Fahey. — Ryan Canfield Outkick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026 Wilson, a freshman attacking midfielder who graduated from Rocky Mountain, is a big part. — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 17 Oct. 2026 With Payne sidelined, TCU has leaned on sophomore Jon Denman, freshman Amante Martin and sixth-year running back Landon Walker, a Division II transfer. — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Oct. 2026 Hayes, a 6-0, 190-pound redshirt freshman from Wichita, attended Maize High School. — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 17 Oct. 2026 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

Phrases Containing freshman

Rhymes for freshman

See All Rhymes for freshman

Browse Nearby Words

freshly
freshman
freshman composition
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Freshman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/freshman. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

freshman

noun
fresh·​man ˈfresh-mən How to pronounce freshman (audio)
1
: beginner, newcomer
2
: a student in the first year (as of high school or college)
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All