sophomore

1 of 2

noun

soph·​o·​more ˈsäf-ˌmȯr How to pronounce sophomore (audio)
 also  ˈsȯf-,
 or  ˈsä-fə-,
 or  ˈsȯ-fə-
: a student in the second year at college or a 4-year secondary school

sophomore

2 of 2

adjective

: being or associated with the second in a series
their sophomore album

Examples of sophomore in a Sentence

Noun She's a sophomore in high school.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
Ryan Romolo, senior Caden Anholt, junior Luke Little and sophomore Jace Walker were selected to the 12-player all-tournament team from Grapevine Faith. Mike Waters, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 2025 In a little over a month, Benson Boone will release his sophomore album American Heart. Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
Adjective
Fiore has been at Cathedral for the last seven years and in her sophomore English class, all 125 of her students do a TED talk during the year. Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Mar. 2025 And there’s also sophomore Holloway, who scored 26 points in Alabama’s last outing before conference play began and added 10 points on Saturday. Kennington Smith Iii, The Athletic, 4 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sophomore

Word History

Etymology

Noun

perhaps from Greek sophos wise + mōros foolish

First Known Use

Noun

1688, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1953, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sophomore was in 1688

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Cite this Entry

“Sophomore.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sophomore. Accessed 17 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

sophomore

noun
soph·​o·​more
ˈsäf-ˌmō(ə)r,
-ˌmȯ(ə)r;
ˈsäf-ᵊm-ˌō(ə)r,
-ˌȯ(ə)r
: a student in his or her second year at a 4-year high school or college

More from Merriam-Webster on sophomore

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