first class

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See synonyms for: first class / first classes on Thesaurus.com

noun

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

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

(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.

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

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Origin of first class

First recorded in 1740–50

Words nearby first class

first blood, first blush, firstborn, First Cause, first-cause argument, first class, first classman, first-come, first come, first served, firstcomer, First Commandment

Other definitions for first class (2 of 2)

first-class

[ furst-klas, -klahs ]

/ ˈfɜrstˈklæs, -ˈklɑs /

adjective

of the highest or best class or quality: a first-class movie.

best-equipped and most expensive: a first-class railroad car.

given or entitled to preferred treatment, handling, etc.: first-class mail.

adverb

by first-class conveyance: to travel first-class.

Origin of first-class

First recorded in 1780–90

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use first class in a sentence

Your options are priority mail and first class mail, which both ship in one to three business days, according to the USPS website.
How to ship your beloved houseplants across the country without killing them|John Kennedy|June 22, 2021|Popular-Science
Fluoride first entered an American water supply through a rather inelegant technocratic scheme.
Anti-Fluoriders Are The OG Anti-Vaxxers|Michael Schulson|July 27, 2016|DAILY BEAST
I was drawn to The Class for different reasons—chiefly, the pipe dream of achieving a tighter and tauter backside.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze|Lizzie Crocker|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In the first episode, an officer is shown video of himself shooting and killing a man.
'Babylon' Review: The Dumb Lives of Trigger-Happy Cops|Melissa Leon|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST

But since those rosy scenarios were first floated, the California political scene has grown more crowded.
The Golden State Preps for the ‘Red Wedding’ of Senate Races|David Freedlander|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Eric Garcetti succeeded Villaraigosa and has received high marks in his first year and a half on the job.
The Golden State Preps for the ‘Red Wedding’ of Senate Races|David Freedlander|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
This is the first and principal point at which we can stanch the wastage of teaching energy that now goes on.
The Salvaging Of Civilisation|H. G. (Herbert George) Wells
He was converted and baptized, and was the first Hebrew instructor at Harvard college.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
And I have not had the first morsel of food prepared from this grain offered me since I reached the shores of Europe.
Glances at Europe|Horace Greeley
Now first we shall want our pupil to understand, speak, read and write the mother tongue well.
The Salvaging Of Civilisation|H. G. (Herbert George) Wells
In treble, second and fourth, the first change is a dodge behind; and the second time the treble leads, there's a double Bob.
Tintinnalogia, or, the Art of Ringing|Richard Duckworth and Fabian Stedman

British Dictionary definitions for first class

first class

noun

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

adjective (first-class when prenominal)

of the best or highest class or gradea first-class citizen

excellent; first-rate

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

(in Britain) of or relating to mail that is processed most quickly
(in the US and Canada) of or relating to mail that consists mainly of written letters, cards, etc

education See first (def. 10)

adverb first-class

by first-class mail, means of transportation, etc

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

first class

Origin of first class

Words nearby first class

Other definitions for first class (2 of 2)

Origin of first-class

Words related to first class

How to use first class in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for first class