first edition

noun

: the copies of a literary work first printed from the same type and issued at the same time
also : a single copy from a first edition

Examples of first edition in a Sentence

There were many errors in the book's first edition. She owns a valuable first edition of Huckleberry Finn.
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.
Along the narrow hallway, bookshelves burst with first editions of John Updike, battered Stephen Kings, graphic novels, dime-store paperbacks, board games, books about mythology, children’s fairy tales, and Warhammer rule sets. — Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 29 July 2026 Marilyn Monroe was on the cover of the first edition of Playboy in 1953. — Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 Tsui’s first edition at the helm — the event’s 51st — will come next March. — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 24 July 2026 The stories related to the staging of this first edition have become somewhat legendary, particularly the European entrants travelling together by ship across the Atlantic Ocean, then stopping off to collect the Brazil squad en route. — Michael Cox, New York Times, 23 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for first edition

Word History

First Known Use

1542, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of first edition was in 1542

Rhymes for first edition

See All Rhymes for first edition

Browse Nearby Words

first down
first edition
first estate
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“First edition.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/first%20edition. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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