freshman
Americannoun
-
freshmen
plural
-
a student in the first year of the course at a university, college, or high school.
-
a novice; beginner.
adjective
-
of, relating to, or characteristic of a freshman.
to outgrow one's freshman attitudes.
-
lacking seniority or experience; junior.
a freshman senator.
-
required of or suitable for freshmen.
freshman courses.
-
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 Los Angeles Dodgers’ Tarik Skubal underwent the procedure as a college freshman and Boston Red Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet had it in 2022.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Not bad for someone who started with an 11.7 his freshman year and was down to 11.3 by season’s end.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
One of the more bewildering primary results of the year came this week in Michigan’s 8th Congressional District, a swing seat currently represented by Democratic freshman Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet.
From Slate ● Aug. 8, 2026
So as it stands, any freshman with a birthday prior to Sept. 1, 2006, is left with one less year to play than their freshmen counterparts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 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
A pilot program aims to ease pressure on freshmen and help them adjust to demands of college.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
The shift at Michigan, among the nation’s largest and best-known public universities, comes as schools wrestle with grade inflation and the need for remedial instruction for freshmen ill-prepared for college-level classes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
When we met as freshmen in college, I immediately felt safe with him.
From Slate ● Aug. 10, 2026
The Bruins have signed incoming freshmen Gunārs Grīnvalds and Nikola Kusturica – from Latvia and Serbia, respectively.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
The very last scene is also a flashback—Brandon and Justin, as high school freshmen, meeting for the first time.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
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.
