foremost

[fawr-mohst, -muh st, fohr-]

See more synonyms for foremost on Thesaurus.com

adjective, adverb

first in place, order, rank, etc.: the foremost surgeons.

Origin of foremost

before 1000; fore¹ + -most; replacing Middle English, Old English formest, equivalent to form(a) first, variant of fruma (compare Latin prīmus) + -est -est¹

Synonyms

See more synonyms for foremost on Thesaurus.com

primary, prime, chief, principal, paramount.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for foremost

Contemporary Examples

The New York governor was the foremost Democrat to stand athwart the Reagan Revolution.
Mario Cuomo, a Frustrating Hero to Democrats, Is Dead at 82
Eleanor Clift
January 2, 2015
Even the best of us can hurt the people who come to us for care when we forget that our foremost obligation is to them.
Why So Many Surgeons Are Psychos
Russell Saunders
December 17, 2014
The foremost trendsetter of Scandi-sleek design and New Nordic food knows no limit to its progressive reputation.
The Ultimate LGBT Travel Bucket List
December 12, 2014
The cities of the heartland came into existence, first and foremost, as economic entities.
The Rustbelt Roars Back From the Dead
Joel Kotkin, Richey Piiparinen
December 7, 2014
And, if this is once again removed, the local population will likely blame, first and foremost, the anti-ISIS coalition.
To Kill the ISIS Monster You Gotta Do More Than Cut Off Its Money
Charlie Winter
November 18, 2014

Historical Examples

Who foremost now to climb the leaguered wall, The first to triumph, or the first to fall?
The Grand Old Man
Richard B. Cook
It unquestionably established Gladstone as the foremost financier of his day.
The Grand Old Man
Richard B. Cook
In the Peer's gallery were the foremost members of the House of Lords.
The Grand Old Man
Richard B. Cook
Foremost among these--one would think--should come his own productions.
De Libris: Prose and Verse
Austin Dobson
Among the foremost advocates of the royal usurpations was Dr. Bullivant.
Dr. Bullivant
Nathaniel Hawthorne

British Dictionary definitions for foremost

foremost

adjective, adverb

first in time, place, rank, etc

Word Origin

Old English formest, from forma first; related to Old Saxon formo first, Old High German fruma advantage

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for foremost

adj.

Old English fyrmest "earliest, first, most prominent," from Proto-Germanic *formo- (related to Old English fruma "beginning"), superlative of the root of fore + additional superlative suffix -est. Cf. -most, and cf. also Old Frisian formest, Gothic frumists. Altered on the assumption that it is a compound of fore and most.

Idioms and Phrases with foremost

foremost

see first and foremost.

foremost

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}foremost

Synonyms

Examples from the Web for foremost

Contemporary Examples

The New York governor was the foremost Democrat to stand athwart the Reagan Revolution.

Even the best of us can hurt the people who come to us for care when we forget that our foremost obligation is to them.

The foremost trendsetter of Scandi-sleek design and New Nordic food knows no limit to its progressive reputation.

The cities of the heartland came into existence, first and foremost, as economic entities.

And, if this is once again removed, the local population will likely blame, first and foremost, the anti-ISIS coalition.

Historical Examples

Who foremost now to climb the leaguered wall, The first to triumph, or the first to fall?

It unquestionably established Gladstone as the foremost financier of his day.

In the Peer's gallery were the foremost members of the House of Lords.

Foremost among these--one would think--should come his own productions.

Among the foremost advocates of the royal usurpations was Dr. Bullivant.

foremost

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for foremost

adj.

Idioms and Phrases with foremost

foremost

Origin of foremost