Definition

Noun: 1. The initial or lowest academic degree awarded by a university or college, typically earned after completing an undergraduate program. This is the most common meaning. 2. (Mathematics) A classification for an equation or term where the variable(s) are raised only to the power of one. This meaning is primarily used in technical contexts like algebra.

Usage and Examples

• Academic Context:
  • She earned her first degree in Biology from Stanford University.
  • A bachelor's degree, such as a B.A. or B.Sc., is considered a first degree.
  • Many jobs require applicants to hold at least a first degree.
• Mathematical Context:
  • The equation y = 3x + 2 is a first-degree equation because the variable x is to the power of one.
  • In the polynomial x² + 2x + 1, the term 2x is a first-degree term.

Advanced Usage

• "First-degree murder": (Legal) A serious classification of murder involving premeditation and intent.
• "First-degree burn": (Medical) The least severe type of burn, affecting only the outer layer of skin.

Variants and Related Words

• First-degree (adjective): Used as a modifier in compound terms, primarily in legal, medical, and mathematical contexts (e.g., first-degree murder, first-degree burn, first-degree equation).
• Bachelor's degree: A direct synonym in the academic context.
• Undergraduate degree: A direct synonym in the academic context.

Synonyms

• (Academic) Bachelor's degree, undergraduate degree, baccalaureate.
• (Mathematical) Linear (e.g., a linear equation is a first-degree equation).

Related Phrases and Idioms

• To read for a first degree: (Formal/British English) To study at a university in order to obtain a first degree.
  • He is reading for a first degree in Law at Oxford.

Noun

1. a degree of one
   • all of the terms in a linear equation are of the first degree