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• first class
  first class

  noun

  the best, finest, or highest class, grade, or rank.
• first-class
  first-class

  adjective

  of the highest or best class or quality.

first class

¹ American  

noun

• first classes
  plural

1. the best, finest, or highest class, grade, or rank.

2. the most expensive and most luxurious class of accommodation on trains, ships, airplanes, etc.

3. (in the U.S. Postal Service) the class of mail consisting of letters, postal cards, or the like, together with all mailable matter sealed against inspection.

4. British University. the group receiving the highest distinction in an honors course.

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first-class ² American  

[furst-klas, -klahs] / ˈfɜrstˈklæs, -ˈklɑs /

adjective

1. of the highest or best class or quality.

   a first-class movie.

2. best-equipped and most expensive.

   a first-class railroad car.

3. given or entitled to preferred treatment, handling, etc..

   first-class mail.

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adverb

1. by first-class conveyance.

   to travel first-class.

first class British  

noun

1. the class or grade of the best or highest value, quality, etc

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adjective

1. of the best or highest class or grade

   a first-class citizen

2. excellent; first-rate

3. of or denoting the most comfortable and expensive class of accommodation in a hotel, aircraft, train, etc

4. 1. (in Britain) of or relating to mail that is processed most quickly

   2. (in the US and Canada) of or relating to mail that consists mainly of written letters, cards, etc

5. education See first

adverb

1. by first-class mail, means of transportation, etc

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• first classes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of first class¹

First recorded in 1740–50

Origin of first-class²

First recorded in 1780–90

Explanation

If something is first-class, it's the very best. First-class seats on an airplane are the roomiest and most comfortable—and the most expensive. This adjective is perfect for describing the highest-quality version of something, from first-class stamps that get your letter to its destination faster to a first-class detective who relentlessly follows every single clue until the mystery is solved. First-class orchestras are highly accomplished, and a first-class moving company is unlikely to break your dishes while transporting them to your new house.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

first class first-class

As we drove together to his first class, I couldn’t help feeling that this was a terrible mistake, allowing David to breach a sacred space I had just barely carved out for myself.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

"Whether you're in first class, business class, whatever it is, you're still on a plane."

From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026

And as we were getting on the plane, Morris and them, they’re all sitting in first class.

From Slate ● Aug. 22, 2026

American Airlines plans to install screens at every seat as part of a cabin overhaul that includes adding more rows in first class and extra legroom in narrow-body planes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

My first class after homeroom is American history.

From "A Mango-Shaped Space" by Wendy Mass

Hand him a first-class ticket to any conflict zone on Earth and his diplomatic temperament would ease tensions that have long bedeviled U.N. envoys.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2026

Karvelas was playing a first-class game for the first time in a year after being released by the club.

From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026

And that drove us to move from Upfront Plus to buy first-class seats.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

They don’t need a first-class intelligence service to spell it out for them.

From Slate ● Aug. 26, 2026

She was tidier than this as a rule, but she may have had a miserable time in the first-class dining saloon.

From "Secrets at Sea" by Richard Peck