freshman
Americannoun
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freshmen
plural
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a student in the first year of the course at a university, college, or high school.
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a novice; beginner.
adjective
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of, relating to, or characteristic of a freshman.
to outgrow one's freshman attitudes.
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lacking seniority or experience; junior.
a freshman senator.
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required of or suitable for freshmen.
freshman courses.
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initial; first.
This is my freshman year with the company.
Gender
See -man.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of freshman
Explanation
A freshman is a student in her first year of high school or college. Being a college freshman can be a little overwhelming — it's a huge change in most people's lives. Sometimes a freshman is called a "first-year student," a term that isn't so gender-specific. However, you can also use the word freshman for a a boy or a girl. Sometimes, rather than school, a freshman is new at something else: in the US Senate, first-timers are frequently called "freshman senators." The word combines the "inexperienced" sense of fresh with man, or "person."
Vocabulary lists containing freshman
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The freshman receiver appeared to favor his right knee after reeling in a third-quarter touchdown, then jogged gingerly over to the USC sideline.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
And through just three games as a true freshman, Wafle is making his own imprint as a generational talent on the Trojans’ defensive line.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
After his freshman year, though, Venable took advice from his mother and approached Princeton coach Scott Bradley about potentially returning to baseball.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
Williams had broken out as a freshman for Oklahoma before transferring to USC and winning the Heisman Trophy as a sophomore.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
“I mean, everyone says long-distance relationships are the worst. Like, it’s just an idiotic way to go into your freshman year at college—attached to someone.”
From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon
But most UC freshmen never take the courses.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
“For me, graduation is very important. It’s emotional to see my freshmen become seniors and graduate.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
Santa Maragarita is back to No. 1 in The Times’ top 25 rankings after finding players to replace nine of 11 starters on defense, including several more freshmen besides Steen.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
After scrambling last year to lure freshmen with additional merit-aid offers of up to $200,000, Syracuse fell short of its enrollment target this school year, sending it into a budget shortfall.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
But the freshmen are pretty geeked to be missing first and second period, which makes them the most wildly awesome audience ever.
From "Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda" by Becky Albertalli
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
