firstly
Americanadverb
adverb
Usage
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.
Etymology
Origin of firstly
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Firstly, the UK energy regulator Ofgem has already set its next price cap on household energy bills for July and it can't be changed.
From BBC • Jun. 18, 2026
Firstly, there are other big players coming onto the market with healthy-looking financials—see Claude-developer Anthropic, which has just been valued at $965 billion in its latest funding round.
From Barron's • May 29, 2026
Firstly, the market often does the opposite of what investors expect, McElligott said.
From MarketWatch • May 28, 2026
"Our results have far-reaching implications. Firstly, it refutes the hypothesis that any organics found in fossils must result from contamination."
From Science Daily • May 14, 2026
Firstly because he had no idea what obfuscate meant.
From "The Girl Who Drank the Moon" by Kelly Barnhill
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
