in the first place
Idioms-
From the beginning, at the outset, before anything else. For example, Why didn't you tell me in the first place that you've decided to leave? or He could have bought a new one in the first place .
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As the first of several items in order of importance. This phrase is usually accompanied by in the second place, third place , and so on, as in I'm not joining the health club because, in the first place, I don't like their hours, and in the second place, I can't afford the dues . [First half of 1600s] Also see for one .
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 final reason to stick with Mr. Klosterman is to find out why he wrote this alternative history in the first place.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
"But we physicists do not yet understand why these additional generations exist at all in the first place," says Soter.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026
A professional can help you parse your options, and maybe even remind you both of what drew you to each other in the first place.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
Then I asked myself why I was playing Mitch-truther in the first place.
From Salon ● Sep. 17, 2026
Why did that feel so much more disappointing than having to make the apology in the first place?
From "Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody" by Patrick Ness
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.
