# sophomore

/ˈsɑfˌmɔɹ/ (US) · /sˈɒfəmˌɔː/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/sophomore
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. second-year student

noun · CEFR B2 · American English

a student in their second year of a four-year high school or college.

For teachers: a student in the second year of a four-year educational programme, typically tenth grade in high school or the second year of university.

- As a sophomore, she finally felt comfortable navigating the large university campus.
- The university offers specific career workshops for sophomores to help them declare their majors before entering their junior year.

Usage: In the US, this follows 'freshman' and precedes 'junior'.

### 2. the second in a series

adjective · CEFR C1 · American English · Formal

the second of something, especially a second music album or a second professional season.

For teachers: pertaining to the second iteration of a series, particularly regarding an artist's second album or an athlete's second year of competition.

- The band's sophomore album was even more successful than their first one.
- Critics often discuss the 'sophomore slump', where an artist's second major project fails to live up to the high expectations set by their debut.

Teaching tip: While technically an adjective here, it is almost exclusively used in the context of 'sophomore album' or 'sophomore season'.

## Examples

- She is a sophomore at the local university.
- During his sophomore year, he decided to change his major from biology to history.
- The transition from freshman to sophomore status often brings a heavier workload as students begin to take more specialized courses within their chosen academic discipline.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.