Dictionary

freshman en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈfɹɛʃ.mən/
• [ˈfɹʷɛʃ.mən] ~ [ˈfɹʷɛʃ.mn̩]

Etymology

From fresh + man.

Meanings

1. (Canada, Philippines, US) a person (of either sex) entering the first year of an institution, especially a high school (ninth grade for US, grade 9 for Canada, grade 7 for Philippines), a university, or legislative body
   • When he was but yet a freshman in Cambridge. 1596, Thomas Nashe, Have with You to Saffron-Walden:
   • As a country, we now enter what the seven freshmen called “unchartered waters”, with an unprecedented political and constitutional crisis looming on the horizon. 2019 September 25, Geoffrey Kabaservice, “Impeach Trump? The United States is now in uncharted waters”, in The Guardian:
   • At the time I was a wide-eyed freshman, but I was soon to grow jaded and cynical.
   • Sir Alexander: Then he's a graduate. Sir Davy: Say they trust him not? Sir Alexander: Then is he held a freshman and a sot,¶ And never shall commence, but being still barr'd¶ Be expuls'd from the master's side to th' twopenny ward,¶ Or else i' th' hole be plac'd. 1611, Thomas Middleton, The Roaring Girl, act 3, scene 3:
   • Trump may have played a role in swaying some holdouts — calling into a meeting of Republican freshmen the night before, and calling other members ahead of voting. January 7 2023, Lisa Mascaro, Farnoush Amiri, “McCarthy elected House speaker in rowdy post-midnight vote”, in AP News:
2. (obsolete) a novice; one in the rudiments of knowledge
   • I am but a Freshman yet in France, therefore I can send you no News but that all is here quiet, and 'tis no ordinary News that the French should be quiet. 1619 August 6, James Howell, The Familiar Letters of James Howell, volume 1, published 1892, Letter XIII, page 39:

Forms

Deriveds

subfreshman · freshmanic · freshmanhood · prefreshman · nonfreshman · freshmanship · freshman fifteen · freshmanitis · freshmanly

Relateds

junior · senior · sophomore · upperclassman

Synonyms

Grade 9 student · grade nine student · 1st yr student (highschool, university) · fresher · frosh · grade niner · first year student (highschool, university) · grade seven student · grade 9 student · Grade 7 student · grade-niner · grade 7 student · freshie · 1st year student (highschool, university) · first-year student (highschool, university)

Translations (46)

nl schacht (a person of either sex entering the first year of an institution) · pt caloiro (a person of either sex entering the first year of an institution) · th น้องใหม่ (a person of either sex entering the first year of an institution) · fr bizut (a person of either sex entering the first year of an institution) · sl bruc (a person of either sex entering the first year of an institution) · no førstis (a person of either sex entering the first year of an institution) · ko 일학년 (a person of either sex entering the first year of an institution) · da grønskolling (novice; one in the rudiments of knowledge) · cmn 大一 (a person of either sex entering the first year of an institution) · pt bicho (a person of either sex entering the first year of an institution) · es cachimbo (a person of either sex entering the first year of an institution) · ko 신입생 (a person of either sex entering the first year of an institution) · nl feut (a person of either sex entering the first year of an institution) · fr bizuth (a person of either sex entering the first year of an institution) · fr bleue (a person of either sex entering the first year of an institution) · sv recentior (a person of either sex entering the first year of an institution) · it matricola (a person of either sex entering the first year of an institution) · pl pierwszak (a person of either sex entering the first year of an institution) · ru первоку́рсник (a person of either sex entering the first year of an institution) · cmn 一年級新生 /一年级新生 (a person of either sex entering the first year of an institution) · da rus (a person of either sex entering the first year of an institution) · no første klasse (a person of either sex entering the first year of an institution) · ru первоку́рсница (a person of either sex entering the first year of an institution) · cy glasfyfyriwr (a person of either sex entering the first year of an institution) · mk бруцош (a person of either sex entering the first year of an institution) · hu gólya (a person of either sex entering the first year of an institution) · sv förstaårselev (a person of either sex entering the first year of an institution) · tl untaunan (a person of either sex entering the first year of an institution) · ja 新入生 (a person of either sex entering the first year of an institution) · pl nowicjusz (novice; one in the rudiments of knowledge) · pt calouro (a person of either sex entering the first year of an institution) · fi fuksi (a person of either sex entering the first year of an institution) · nl eerstejaars (a person of either sex entering the first year of an institution) · es novato (a person of either sex entering the first year of an institution) · nl beginneling (novice; one in the rudiments of knowledge) · es mechón (a person of either sex entering the first year of an institution) · ja 一年生 (a person of either sex entering the first year of an institution) · cmn 新生 (a person of either sex entering the first year of an institution) · fr bleu (a person of either sex entering the first year of an institution) · de Erstsemester (a person of either sex entering the first year of an institution) · cmn 大一生 (a person of either sex entering the first year of an institution) · hu elsőéves (a person of either sex entering the first year of an institution) · cmn 新鮮人 /新鲜人 (a person of either sex entering the first year of an institution) · de Neuling (novice; one in the rudiments of knowledge) · kk бірінші курс студенті (a person of either sex entering the first year of an institution) · de Ersti (a person of either sex entering the first year of an institution)