first-come
Americanadjective
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.
At this stage, markets do not know whether transits will be on a first-come, first-served basis or whether there will be a queuing system, said Alexis Ellender, an analyst at Kpler.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 16, 2026
Parking is handled ad hoc, on a first-come, first-served basis.
From Slate • Feb. 23, 2026
Fans were able to buy tickets on a first-come, first-served basis with a limit of two tickets each.
From BBC • Feb. 22, 2026
The state vouchers are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, creating stiff competition for funding.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 9, 2026
This is how five days later, we end up heading to Boston, where a clinic ship is landing for a day and taking patients for free on a first-come, first-serve basis.
From "Landscape with Invisible Hand" by M.T. Anderson
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.
