first class

adjective

Definition

› of excellent quality: The work that she did on the project was first class. He really is pre-eminent in the field and has built up a first-class business.

› TRANSPORT relating to the highest level of service offered on a plane, train, etc.: a first-class cabin/fare/seat, etc.

› in the UK, relating to the fastest service for sending mail: It is welcome news that first-class delivery has improved. The cost of a first-class stamp is going up.

› in the US, relating to the service used for sending letters, cards, and small packages: He predicts first-class volume will decline by 20 percent by the year 2017 as fewer people sit down to write a letter. Experts expect that the U.S. Postal Service soon will request a price increase for first-class letters.

› used to describe the best possible degree you can get from a university in the UK: A report showed that a first-class degree is worth, on average, 12% more in likely future earnings.

→ Compare business class noun, economy class, second-class adjective

(Definition of first class adjective from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)