first quarter

noun

Astronomy.

1. the instant, approximately one week after a new moon, when one half of the moon's disk is illuminated by the sun.

first quarter

noun

1. one of the four principal phases of the moon, occurring between new moon and full moon, when half of the lighted surface is visible from earth Compare last quarter

Word History and Origins

Origin of first quarter¹

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

He was eventually carted off the field, joining Eli Sanders, the Trojans’ other top back, who left the game in the first quarter.

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The acquisition has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies, with the deal expected to close early in the first quarter of 2026.

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The model will be assembled with domestically and globally sourced parts at GM’s plant in Kansas City, Kan. It will be available at Chevrolet dealers in the first quarter of next year.

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SINGAPORE—New Zealand’s farm-rich economy returned to growth in the first quarter, exiting the recession that has dogged it for much of last year, but further weakness can’t be ruled out.

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The firm noted that Oracle’s backlog of remaining performance obligations surged 359% in the first quarter of fiscal 2026 to $455 billion, an achievement that has earned it plenty of praise.

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