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first quarter

American

noun

Astronomy.

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

first quarter British

noun

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

"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

Etymology

Origin of first quarter

First recorded in 1905–10

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.

The consultation process began on Monday, and is expected to end in the first quarter of next year.

From BBC

The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2026.

From The Wall Street Journal

Players responded by piling on a season-high 46 points in the first quarter.

From Los Angeles Times

Oil jumped after OPEC+ confirmed it will stick with plans to pause production hikes during the first quarter, citing lower seasonal demand.

From Barron's

OPEC+ confirmed a pause on oil production hikes for the first quarter of 2026 due to expected weaker market conditions.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023