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.
The performances are first-rate, Ms. Bruccoleri above all, though Ms. Varma is wonderful.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026
The legislation does not foresee an increase in the size of France's armed forces, which remains at 210,000 active-duty personnel, 225 combat aircraft and 15 first-rate frigates.
From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026
Mr. Enrigue follows both groups on their hazardous journeys into the Sierra Madre, and the writing, translated by Natasha Wimmer, yields all the pleasures of a first-rate adventure with none of the sentimentality.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026
“He is assuredly a first-rate and widely respected orthopedic surgeon,” Stephen Larson, an attorney for Khounganian, said in a statement.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 31, 2025
It was a first-rate book with lots of pictures in it.
From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney
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.
