upperclassman

noun

up·​per·​class·​man ˌə-pər-ˈklas-mən How to pronounce upperclassman (audio)
: a member of the junior or senior class in a school or college

Examples of upperclassman in a Sentence

Only upperclassmen can go off-campus for lunch.
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.
Grapevine’s greatest asset is arguably its experience — several of the upperclassmen who were on the state championship team in 2024 know the value of remaining calm during tough moments. Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 June 2025 All of which points to Summers eying a trifecta of golds as an upperclassman, as his goal is to sweep triple jump, long jump and high jump titles in 1A the next two years. Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 16 May 2025 With the Tigers graduating four key seniors in 2024 and only two starting upperclassmen returning to the squad (Kara Daly and Crenshaw), there was plenty of room for Walker to take on a bigger role with the team. True Deck, Kansas City Star, 4 May 2025 Dart was a first-team All-SEC selection by the coaches and a finalist for the Manning Award (given to the top college football QB) and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award (given to the nation’s top upperclassman QB). Charlotte Carroll, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for upperclassman

Word History

First Known Use

1871, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of upperclassman was in 1871

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Cite this Entry

“Upperclassman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upperclassman. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

upperclassman

noun
up·​per·​class·​man ˌəp-ər-ˈklas-mən How to pronounce upperclassman (audio)
: a student in the third or fourth year of a four-year college or a high school

More from Merriam-Webster on upperclassman

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