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 .
-
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.
This new combination is why the portfolio version of the golden ratio was developed in the first place.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026
The results suggest that CRH receptor 1 on OPCs plays an important role not only in repairing myelin after injury, but also in regulating how myelin develops in the first place.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 14, 2026
In “Over/Under,” he argues that betting, which has been pervasive for as long as Americans have obsessed over balls and strikes, is a primary reason why sports became popular in the first place.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
Much depends on what’s raising your body temperature in the first place — if you have a fever due to an infection, for example, see a doctor rather than ingesting peppermint.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
I told her about how it stunk to not be a famous TV star, even though I never knew before I wanted to be one in the first place.
From Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff
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.
