incoming freshmen

Meanings

1. 1nounpluralAmerican

   Students who are about to start their first year at a high school or college.

   Grammar: Plural: use a plural verb, as in 'incoming freshmen are'. The singular is 'incoming freshman'.

   Patterns

   • incoming freshmen at a school
   • welcome incoming freshmen

   The university holds a special orientation week for incoming freshmen.

   Incoming freshmen often feel nervous about living away from home.

   Several incoming freshmen attended the summer advising session.

2. 2nounpluralAmerican

   New first-year students considered as a group within a school or college.

   Grammar: Often used before another noun: 'the incoming freshmen class'.

   Patterns

   • the incoming freshmen class
   • a group of incoming freshmen

   The incoming freshmen class is larger than last year's.

   A group of incoming freshmen toured the science building.

Word forms

Common combinations

incoming freshmen orientation

Incoming freshmen orientation begins the week before classes.

welcome incoming freshmen

The dean gave a speech to welcome incoming freshmen.

incoming freshmen class

The incoming freshmen class has students from many countries.

advising for incoming freshmen

Advising for incoming freshmen takes place in August.

Synonyms and how they differ

first-year students

This is the more neutral term and is common in British English; 'incoming freshmen' is specifically American.

freshers

British informal word for first-year students; it is not usually used with 'incoming' in American English.

Opposites

Word family

freshman noun

A student in the first year of high school or college.

Commonly confused: incoming freshmen or incoming?

Practice

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