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View synonyms for first

first

[ furst ]

adjective

  1. being before all others with respect to time, order, rank, importance, etc., used as the ordinal number of one: the first edition; the first vice president.
  2. Music. highest or chief among several voices or instruments of the same class:

    first alto; first horn.

  3. Automotive. low 1( def 31 ).
  4. (often initial capital letter) being a member of the household or an intimate acquaintance of the president of the United States or of the governor of a state:

    the First Lady; Checkers, the first dog.



adverb

  1. before all others or anything else in time, order, rank, etc.
  2. before some other thing, event, etc.:

    If you're going, phone first.

  3. for the first time:

    She first visited Atlanta in 1980.

  4. in preference to something else; rather; sooner:

    I'd die first.

  5. in the first place; firstly.

noun

  1. the person or thing that is first in time, order, rank, etc.
  2. the beginning.
  3. the first part; first member of a series.
  4. Music.
    1. the voice or instrument that takes the highest or chief part in its class, especially in an orchestra or chorus.
    2. a leader of a part or group of performers.
  5. Automotive. low gear; first gear:

    She shifted into first and drove off.

  6. the winning position or rank in a race or other competition.
  7. Usually firsts. Commerce. Compare second 1( def 23 ), third ( def 12 ).
    1. a product or goods of the first or highest quality.
    2. goods produced according to specifications, without visible flaws.
  8. British University.
    1. first-class honors. class ( def 18 ).
    2. a person who has won such honors.

first

/ fɜːst /

adjective

    1. coming before all others; earliest, best, or foremost
    2. ( as noun )

      I was the first to arrive

  1. preceding all others in numbering or counting order; the ordinal number of one . Often written: 1st
  2. rated, graded, or ranked above all other levels
  3. denoting the lowest forward ratio of a gearbox in a motor vehicle
  4. music
    1. denoting the highest part assigned to one of the voice parts in a chorus or one of the sections of an orchestra

      the first violins

      first soprano

    2. denoting the principal player in a specific orchestral section

      he plays first horn

  5. first thing
    as the first action of the day

    I'll see you first thing tomorrow

  6. first things first
    things must be done in order of priority
  7. the first thing
    in negative constructions even one thing

    he doesn't know the first thing about me

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


noun

  1. the beginning; outset

    I knew you were a rogue from the first

    I couldn't see at first because of the mist

  2. education an honours degree of the highest class Full termfirst-class honours degree
  3. something which has not occurred before

    a first for the company

  4. the lowest forward ratio of a gearbox in a motor vehicle; low gear
  5. music
    1. the highest part in a particular section of a chorus or orchestra
    2. the instrument or voice taking such a part
    3. the chief or leading player in a section of an orchestra; principal
  6. music a rare word for prime
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adverb

  1. before anything else in order, time, preference, importance, etc

    first, remove the head and tail of the fish

    do this first

  2. first and last
    on the whole; overall
  3. from first to last
    throughout
  4. for the first time

    I've loved you since I first saw you

  5. sentence modifier in the first place or beginning of a series of actions

    first I want to talk about criminality

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Words From

  • firstness adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of first1

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English fyr(e)st; cognate with German Fürst “prince”; fore 1, -est 1
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Word History and Origins

Origin of first1

Old English fyrest ; related to Old Saxon furist , Old Norse fyrstr , German Fürst prince, one who is first in rank
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. first and last, everything considered; above all else; altogether:

    First and last, it is important to know oneself.

  2. first off, Informal. at the outset; in the beginning:

    He wanted to know first off why he hadn't been notified.

  3. first thing, before anything else:

    I'll call you first thing when I arrive.

More idioms and phrases containing first

  • at first
  • at first blush
  • at first hand
  • cast the first stone
  • get to first base
  • if at first you don't succeed
  • in the first place
  • in the (first) flush of
  • love at first sight
  • not know beans (the first thing)
  • of the first water
  • on a first-name basis
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Example Sentences

Fluoride first entered an American water supply through a rather inelegant technocratic scheme.

In the first episode, an officer is shown video of himself shooting and killing a man.

But since those rosy scenarios were first floated, the California political scene has grown more crowded.

Eric Garcetti succeeded Villaraigosa and has received high marks in his first year and a half on the job.

He sees himself as the first Muslim president of all Europe.

This is the first and principal point at which we can stanch the wastage of teaching energy that now goes on.

He was converted and baptized, and was the first Hebrew instructor at Harvard college.

And I have not had the first morsel of food prepared from this grain offered me since I reached the shores of Europe.

Now first we shall want our pupil to understand, speak, read and write the mother tongue well.

In treble, second and fourth, the first change is a dodge behind; and the second time the treble leads, there's a double Bob.

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More About First

What is a basic definition of first?

First is used to describe something as being original or before anything else, as in time, order, or rank. First can also be used to describe something as happening before something else or as happening for the first time. First is also used as a noun to mean the person or thing that is before all others, as in rank. First has other senses as an adjective, adverb, and noun.

As an adjective, first describes something as being the original, with nothing else coming before it in time or in a series. In regards to importance or rank, first means no other rank is higher or has more authority. A ship captain’s first mate, for example, has the most authority out of all the crew. The opposite of first is last.

  • Real-life examples: A is the first letter in the English alphabet. George Washington was the first president of the United States. Mercury is the first planet from the sun.
  • Used in a sentence: I bought my first car when I was eighteen. 

First is used in this same sense as an adverb to describe something happening before all others in time or coming before all others in rank.

  • Used in a sentence: She answered the question first out of all of the students. 

First is also used in this sense as a noun to refer to something that is before all others of its kind.

  • Used in a sentence: I was the first to make it to the movie theater.

In a similar sense, first is used as an adverb to mean something happens for the first time.

  • Used in a sentence: I first went to Tokyo when I was eight years old. 

First is also used as an adverb to mean something happens before something else.

  • Used in a sentence: Before you borrow your sister’s bike, make sure to ask her first. 

Where does first come from?

The first records of first come from before the year 1000. It ultimately comes from the Old English word fyrest and is related to the German Fürst, meaning “prince.”

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to first?

  • firstly (adverb)
  • firstness (adjective)

What are some synonyms for first?

What are some words that share a root or word element with first

What are some words that often get used in discussing first?

How is first used in real life?

First is a very common word that means something comes before anything else.

 

 

 

Try using first!

Is first used correctly in the following sentence?

I have never had red velvet cake before, so when I eat some tonight it will be my first time tasting it.

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.

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