first-class

1 of 2

adjective

1
: of or relating to first class
2
: of the highest quality
a first-class meal
first-class adverb

first class

2 of 2

noun

: the first or highest group in a classification: such as
a
: the highest of usually three classes of travel accommodations
b
: a class of mail that comprises letters, postcards, or matter sealed against inspection

Examples of first-class in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Four months later, eight first-class tickets BOAC, Los Angeles to London. Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 6 Mar. 2024 As an afternoon train departs Miami, a steward in the first-class cabin hands out hot towels. Noah Bierman, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024 Mazda won five first-class awards from the IIHS, the most of any single brand, according to the nonprofit. William Gavin, Quartz, 27 Feb. 2024 This aircraft includes 20 first-class seats, 42 Delta Comfort+ seats, and 132 main cabin seats. Geoff Whitmore, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 This isn’t the 2000s, when Cal was churning out first-class seasons, or the 2010s, when Stanford was winning Rose Bowls. Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 23 Feb. 2024 As cool as a first-class seat to the eclipse would be, there are plenty of (likely cheaper) locations across the US to consider visiting on April 8. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 22 Feb. 2024 For instance, a first-class Acela ticket from New York-Penn to Washington, D.C.-Union Station costs at least $250 one-way, while equivalent point redemptions will require 9,000 points. Stella Shon, Travel + Leisure, 18 Feb. 2024 In one example, Pan American Airways bumped Fitzgerald from her first-class seat, putting her and her band in the back of the plane, a practice that echoed public buses at the time. Joan Gaylord, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Feb. 2024
Noun
Her Palm Royale character, Maxine, has elements of Wiig’s previous creations — an outsider yearning for acceptance, like Annie in Bridesmaids bursting into first class, or Penelope, the SNL character who constantly one-ups other people with absurd claims. Rebecca Keegan, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2024 Wagner is used to abiding strict ethical guidelines while covering professional cycling; the petrochemical company funding the junket sent her first class to Austin. Longreads, 8 Mar. 2024 In situations like this, the focus is always on dignity: The person might be moved to a crew rest area, or even to first class, where there’s likely to be more space, in the form of a spare seat, where the body can be discreetly placed. Mark Ellwood, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Feb. 2024 When Wise founded Hebrew Union College in 1875, the first classes were held in the basement of Mound Street Temple. Jeff Suess, The Enquirer, 21 Jan. 2024 The director is a single mother who was in the first class. Jan Goldsmith, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Feb. 2024 In first class, travelers will be treated to a fixed bed, a separate recliner chair, a personal closet, and a dining table for two, while business class passengers will enjoy a more than 6-foot-long lie-flat bed, a leather ottoman, and an 18-inch touch screen TV. Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 23 Feb. 2024 The flights, operated with the airline’s French crew on an Airbus A321neo that also flies the airline’s Newark to Milan flight, offer a significant improvement over the first class service on the U.S. carriers on that route now. Laurie Werner, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024 There have always been VIPs and perks for wealthier customers: orchestra seats at theaters, boxes at stadiums and first class seats on airlines. Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN, 8 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'first-class.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1819, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1616, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of first-class was in 1616

Dictionary Entries Near first-class

first-chop

first-class

first class

Cite this Entry

“First-class.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/first-class. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

first-class

1 of 2 adjective
1
: of or relating to first class
2
: of the highest quality : excellent
a first-class meal

first class

2 of 2 noun
: the best or highest group in a classification

More from Merriam-Webster on first-class

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