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.
He had grown up poor in Oklahoma, served in World War II and become a first-rate outfielder for the Cleveland before the rights to his contract were sold to the Dodgers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
Blimey, we could have a new first-rate traitor hunter on our hands here.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
Bar Bayeux—a long, narrow club in Brooklyn, N.Y., that names cocktails for revered jazz musicians such as Herbie Nichols and Shirley Horn and frequently hosts first-rate bands—was packed one mid-September Saturday night.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
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
The Soviet Union had more first-rate players than any other three nations combined.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
