first class

¹

noun

1. the best, finest, or highest class, grade, or rank.
2. the most expensive and most luxurious class of accommodation on trains, ships, airplanes, etc.
3. (in the U.S. Postal Service) the class of mail consisting of letters, postal cards, or the like, together with all mailable matter sealed against inspection.
4. British University. the group receiving the highest distinction in an honors course.

first-class

²

[ furst-klas, -klahs ]

adjective

1. of the highest or best class or quality:

   a first-class movie.

2. best-equipped and most expensive:

   a first-class railroad car.

3. given or entitled to preferred treatment, handling, etc.:

   first-class mail.

adverb

1. by first-class conveyance:

   to travel first-class.

first class

noun

1. the class or grade of the best or highest value, quality, etc

adjective

1. of the best or highest class or grade

   a first-class citizen

2. excellent; first-rate
3. of or denoting the most comfortable and expensive class of accommodation in a hotel, aircraft, train, etc
4. 1. (in Britain) of or relating to mail that is processed most quickly
   2. (in the US and Canada) of or relating to mail that consists mainly of written letters, cards, etc
5. education See first

adverb

1. by first-class mail, means of transportation, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of first class¹

First recorded in 1740–50

Origin of first class²

First recorded in 1780–90

Example Sentences

He enrolled at the Open University and obtained a first-class honours degree in sociology, but it was when he stumbled across a painting class organised by charity Care After Combat, that he changed his life's trajectory.

From BBC

The statue was once on display for the Titanic’s first-class passengers.

From BBC

"The first-class lounge was the most beautiful, and unbelievably detailed, room on the ship. And the centrepiece of that room was the Diana of Versailles," he said.

From BBC

Despite that, FDR was disdained by former Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. as having “a second-class intellect, but a first-class temperament.”

From Los Angeles Times

Bethell's inclusion is the clear standout given he has only played 20 first-class matches since making his debut for Warwickshire in 2021.

From BBC