first and last

Idioms

Under all circumstances, always, as in She was an artist first and last. (For a synonym, see above all.) This expression, first recorded in 1589, should not be confused with the similar-sounding from first to last, which means “from start to finish” or “throughout,” as in We cheered them on from first to last.

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.

It was the first and last time Copi ever spoke to Davis, but he would go on to photograph him eight times in total.

From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026

Historic freezes in 1894 and 1895 nearly eradicated the industry, its first and last real brush with old-world calamity.

From Slate • Apr. 20, 2026

This year, they will simultaneously serve multiple dishes during the first and last course.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 13, 2025

He painted "California" in early 1961, shortly before he made his first and last trip to the United States for his debut exhibitions across the Atlantic, in New York and Los Angeles, it said.

From Barron's • Oct. 23, 2025

My noseprint, like your fingerprint, is the first and last and only one.

From "The One and Only Ivan" by Katherine Applegate

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023