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

Ronaldo and Messi share the longest gap between a player's first and last goal in the history of the World Cup at 20 years 11 days.

From BBC • Jun. 23, 2026

The buzz: Yasin Ayari scored the first and last of Sweden’s goals in the 5-1 win over Tunisia last week.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 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

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

This, I realized, would be the first and last time I would ever say it to the man that had actually been my father.

From "Krik? Krak!" by Edwidge Danticat