first-rate
Americanadjective
-
excellent; superb.
-
of the highest rank, rate, or class.
adverb
adjective
-
of the best or highest rated class or quality
-
informal very good; excellent
adverb
Etymology
Origin of first-rate
First recorded in 1660–70
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.
But that requires significant planning, the hiring of a major architecture firm with concert hall experience, a first-rate acoustician and, ideally, four times the allotted budget.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
In this true ensemble production, sharply directed by Anne Kauffman, Squibb was supported by a first-rate cast that included a heartbreaking turn by Cynthia Nixon.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 5, 2026
The performances are first-rate, Ms. Bruccoleri above all, though Ms. Varma is wonderful.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 5, 2026
Mr. Sewell is first-rate on the development of Dulles’s foreign-policy philosophy and shows him to be a far more subtle thinker than is often understood.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 15, 2026
‘The Romans aren’t big on navies. They had, like, one rowboat. Which I sank. Speaking of violent storms, you’re doing a first-rate job upstairs.’
From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan
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.
