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.
TrophyLab undermines one of the Kremlin’s most valuable strategic assets: its reputation as a first-rate military power.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
“You have to be first-rate in your storytelling.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 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
It’s a first-rate scene and Maria’s no slouch with a blunderbuss, which isn’t something you see every day.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026
“He talks little, sir: what he does say is ever to the point. His brain is first-rate, I should think not impressible, but vigorous.”
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
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.
