Definition of freshman

The word "freshman" originates from the Old English words "frēos" meaning "new" and "mann" meaning "man". In the 15th century, a freshman referred to a new arrival in a university, particularly in Oxford and Cambridge. Initially, the term was used to describe both undergraduate and graduate students who were new to the institution. Over time, the term became specifically associated with undergraduate students in their first year of study. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the term "freshman" was used in American colleges, particularly Harvard, Yale, and Princeton, to describe students who had just matriculated. The term has since become widely used in American higher education to refer to students in their first year of study. Despite the initial use of the term for new arrivals, the modern meaning of "freshman" primarily refers to undergraduate students in their first year.