firstly
Americanadverb
adverb
Usage
What does firstly mean? Firstly means in the first place or first, as in Firstly, I did study for the test, and secondly, the test was long and difficult. You will most often see firstly at the start of a sentence that details a first point in an argument. Sentences that detail other points in the argument may begin with second, secondly, and similar terms that number (that is, enumerate) your points. Example: Firstly, I’d like to point out that I was never on the site on that day.
Etymology
Origin of firstly
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.
Any proposed solution must firstly be fair to those who have "made provisions and saved up over the course of their lives", Badenoch said.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
"And alongside this, some security measures that respond firstly to Syrian and Lebanese concerns, and also Israeli concerns," he added.
From Barron's ● Jun. 21, 2026
The UBS CIO said such restrictions would firstly discourage training of more capable AI models as makers feared they would not be released.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 15, 2026
The reason it was so important to me to support this work is, firstly, because of free speech, obviously.
From Slate ● May 18, 2026
She repeated the gesture, this time pointing firstly at him, then at herself, then at the ceiling.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
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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.
