From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishfirst classˌfirst ˈclass noun 1 [uncountable]TTDLT the best and most expensive seats on a plane or train, or rooms in a hotel We prefer to travel in first class. → business class, cabin class, economy class, tourist class2 [uncountable] a) TCMthe class of post used in Britain for letters and parcels, that is quicker and more expensive than second-class post → second class b) TCMthe class of post used in the US for ordinary business and personal letters3 [countable]SEC the highest class of degree from a British university
Examples from the Corpus
first class• The ride is firm but damping first class as undulations and bumps are swallowed up with ease.• A few seconds later, Erma Bombeck gave up her first class seat and slid into the coach seat next to me.• Ron was already sitting in first class when we boarded the plane.• When she joined the force 21 years ago, Pengel was in the first class of female cadets.• In the first class of model, the rhythm is generated by a network of interconnected neurones.• The first class of potential problems arises from correlated traffic.• The first class will go over tackle, terminology and an introduction to casting.• DeFries had an idea that to be a star you had to act like a star so everything was first class.• Later he went up to Oxford, taking his degree with first class honours in History.first-classˌfirst-ˈclass ●○○ adjective 1 GOOD/EXCELLENTof very good quality, and much better than other things of the same type This is a first-class wine. His writing is first-class.► see thesaurus at good2 TCMrelating to the class of post that is the most expensive and quickest to arrivefirst-class stamp/mail/post etc3 TTrelating to the best and most expensive class of seats on a plane or train, or rooms in a hotelfirst-class passenger/seat/compartment etc —first class adverb If I send the letter first class it should arrive tomorrow. travel first classExamples from the Corpus
first-class• The food at the restaurant is always first-class.• Jaguar has always made first-class cars.• He boarded the train for the overnight journey and entered a first-class compartment with his first-class ticket.• She's doing a first-class job of running this company.• Last year the first-class letter service achieved record improvements in reliability.• In 1955 we played 34 first-class matches of which we won 27 and lost seven.• As he stuck a sceptical thumb into a tub of rock-hard Camembert, he knew he was facing a first-class mess.• a first-class package• a first-class passenger• When the flight began, I busied myself handing out magazines to first-class passengers.• The nurses gave us a warm farewell before we left the hospital to board a first-class train to Tokyo.• The pass gives one month of first-class travel in Britain.first-class stamp/mail/post etc• Calls should cost about the same as a first-class stamp.• For a catalogue, send two first-class stamps.• I have sent thank-you cards to all my lucky stars by first-class post.• It is best to return the form by first-class post.• Always search by first-class post, not second.• Four first-class stamps usually cover the cost of mailing a book-rate package.• On-time is defined as overnight delivery of first-class mail within major cities.first-class passenger/seat/compartment etc• When the flight began, I busied myself handing out magazines to first-class passengers.• On board were 142 first-class passengers and 100-odd - some of them very odd people travelling in economy.• He found an empty first-class compartment, and she reached it by way of the corridor after the train had pulled out.• But getting suitable ones, to supplement the original first-class seats, has posed problems.• As it was early afternoon there were no madding crowds, and she secured a first-class compartment to herself.• He boarded the train for the overnight journey and entered a first-class compartment with his first-class ticket.• He always sat at the end of the second coach, in the small, first-class compartment with red plush seats.From Longman Business Dictionaryfirst-classˌfirst-ˈclass (also first class) adjective1if something is first-class, it is of very good quality and much better than other things of the same typeWe provide a first-class, professional service for our customers.2using first-class maila first-class stamp3TRAVELfirst class seats, accommodation etc are the most comfortable and expensive availablefirst-class airline ticketsThe airline claims its 9,000 daily first-class seats are 65% full. —first class adverbIf you send the letter first class, it should arrive tomorrow.Company policy says we cannot fly first class, but we can fly business class on trips over a thousand miles. 