freshman
Americannoun
plural
freshmen-
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
- freshmanship noun
- prefreshman noun
- subfreshman noun
Etymology
Origin of 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.
Reduced personnel expenses allow the school to operate with as few as 1,200 students, he said, and enrollment in this year’s freshman class ticked up.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026
He never played organized sports until joining the track team as a freshman.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2026
As a freshman he played on the freshman team.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026
My daughter got into trouble with credit cards as a freshman.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026
Charlie left Amherst College after his freshman year to volunteer for Bill Clinton’s first presidential campaign, and, though he eventually returned, he remained far more interested in his own idealism than in making money.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
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.
