firstly

[furst-lee]

adverb

1. in the first place; first.

firstly

/ ˈfɜːstlɪ /

adverb

1. coming before other points, questions, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of firstly¹

First recorded in 1525–35; first + -ly

Example Sentences

Horner was twice cleared of the claims, firstly after an internal investigation conducted by a lawyer, then by another lawyer who dismissed the complainant's appeal.

From BBC

"There are a lot more players in England, firstly," she says.

From BBC

Davie - and Shah - have a story they want to tell and broadly stuck to it; firstly, that the BBC is leading the way in calling out bad behaviour by anyone who works for it.

From BBC

Consultants eventually referred the grandfather for palliative care, firstly at home - where he was prescribed heavy dosages of morphine by the local health centre - and then at Borders General Hospital from 15 May 2023.

From BBC

Then the gang changed its name twice more - firstly to al-Millah, the nickname of the shadowy third gang leader, and then to Kaka, which means Brother but is also, we believe, another of his nicknames.

From BBC

Related Words

• essentially 
• mostly 

When To Use

What does firstly mean?

Firstly means in the first place or first, as in Firstly, I did study for the test, and secondly, the test was long and difficult.You will most often see firstly at the start of a sentence that details a first point in an argument. Sentences that detail other points in the argument may begin with second, secondly, and similar terms that number (that is, enumerate) your points.Example: Firstly, I’d like to point out that I was never on the site on that day.