sophomore
Americannoun
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a student in the second year of high school or college.
-
a person or group in the second year of any endeavor.
He's a sophomore on Wall Street.
adjective
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of or relating to a sophomore.
-
of or being a second effort or second version.
Their sophomore album was even better than their first.
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sophomore
1645–55; earlier sophumer, probably equivalent to sophum sophism + -er 1
Explanation
A sophomore is in their second year, either in high school or college. Once you became a sophomore, thinking you now knew everything, you pitied the freshmen for their confusion over how to write college papers. Sophomore comes from the word sophism which means "a bad argument that's clever but false," and that's sometimes how sophomores in college act. They're not bright-eyed newcomers anymore, and think they know a lot, but really they've much to learn. We also use the word for other seconds: a band's second album is usually called their sophomore album.
Vocabulary lists containing sophomore
Made You Look: Synonyms for "Immature"
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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.
He transferred to North Hollywood High as a 15-year-old sophomore, and joined the band and orchestra as a jazz-loving trombonist.
From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2026
Miller was utterly overmatched by D-III hitters at first, posting a 7.10 ERA as a freshman and sophomore.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026
Then last month, she was offered a job as a sales representative with the Charlotte Hornets, where she had been cultivating contacts since her sophomore year.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026
Corona Centennial upset Corona 5-2 on Monday behind a complete game and 10 strikeouts from sophomore pitcher Christian De La O. Michael Nonis had three hits.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026
“They’ll transfer the money directly into your account, and in September you’ll be a sophomore at Stanford.”
From "Genuine Fraud" by E. Lockhart
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.
