first and last

Idioms  

1. 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.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

first and last

"I had a surge of patriotism and wanted to change my documents and get a Tajik first and last name, without the '-ov' ending," Alisher Rustamov, a Tajik who works in Russia, told AFP.

From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026

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

The cell line, called "HeLa" after the patient's first and last name, was sent to research labs around the world.

From BBC ● Feb. 27, 2026

“I guess we’re doing first and last names now.”

From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera