private first class

noun

: an enlisted man ranking in the army above a private and below a corporal and in the marine corps above a private and below a lance corporal

Examples of private first class in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Her uncle, Eddie Hart, a private first class in the Army and a Purple Heart recipient, was killed in action at age 22 in April 1945; a Dutch woman named Betty Vrancken adopted his grave at Margraten. Blane Bachelor, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 May 2025 The reason Go for Broke Day is on April 5th is for the heroic actions of private first class Sadao S. Munemori. Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 3 Apr. 2025 Bragg, a private first class with the 17th Airborne Division, isn't exactly a household name. Rachel Treisman, NPR, 11 Feb. 2025 Katia Dueñas Aguilar, 23, a private first class stationed at Fort Campbell in Kentucky, was found dead at a residence in Clarksville, Tenn., in May 2024, according to the Clarksville Police Department. Liam Quinn, People.com, 10 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for private first class

Word History

First Known Use

1918, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of private first class was in 1918

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Cite this Entry

“Private first class.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/private%20first%20class. Accessed 19 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

private first class

noun
: an enlisted person with a rank just below corporal in the army or just below lance corporal in the marines
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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