English Reference
noun

freshman

n.
US /ˈfɹɛʃmən/ UK /fɹˈɛʃmən/ fresh·man

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate American English

    someone who has just started a new job, especially in politics or a large organization.

    a person newly elected or appointed to a legislative body or professional organization.

    Simple

    The freshman senator was nervous about giving her first speech in front of the committee.

    In context

    The party leadership assigned the freshman representatives to minor committees to allow them time to learn the complex procedural rules of the house.

  2. 02 C2 Proficiency Archaic

    a person who is new to a subject or activity and has no experience yet.

    a novice or beginner in a particular field of knowledge or activity.

    Simple

    In the old book, the author describes himself as a freshman in the art of gardening.

    In context

    The text refers to the apprentice as a mere freshman in the rudiments of alchemy, requiring years of study before attempting a transmutation.

    beginnerneophyte

From fresh + man.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B1 · Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated