first edition

American  

noun

1. the whole number of copies of a literary work printed first, from the same type, and issued together.

2. an individual copy from this number.

3. the first printing of a newspaper for a given date.

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Etymology

Origin of first edition

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

first edition

Next week, we’ll bring you the first edition of WSJ Wellness, a weekly look inside the business and culture of wellness—and how it affects you—written by reporter Sara Ashley O’Brien.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

The first edition of the "The Fast and the Furious", a street-racing thriller, helped launch a franchise that has grossed more than seven billion dollars worldwide, according to industry figures.

From Barron's ● May 13, 2026

The first edition of the raffle was won by a 25-year-old American from Pennsylvania in 2013, with funds raised to help preserve the Lebanese city of Tyre - a Unesco World Heritage Site.

From BBC ● Apr. 14, 2026

Jane Magnusson recalled rescuing a first edition of Ernest Hemingway’s “The Sun Also Rises” that her mother might otherwise have discarded or given to a stranger.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 19, 2026

Some of them are as large as bricks, but each one gets progressively smaller and lighter, until I finally see the first edition of the official glasses propped up at the end of the shelves.

From "Warcross" by Marie Lu