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 discovery challenges a decades-old explanation for why animals developed distinct necks in the first place.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 11, 2026
“The reason for tasting tea this way in the first place is like purchasing a car,” Hammond told me.
From Slate ● Nov. 8, 2026
What about the people who aren’t worried about whether their retirement savings will last 20 or 30 years because they never had the opportunity to save in the first place?
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2026
If he wasn't that keen to go the distance in the castle, why did he enter in the first place?
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
This was probably why the Afterlife was ready to get rid of him in the first place.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
