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.
It also highlighted the judicial philosophy that had gotten Gorsuch noticed for this big job in the first place.
From Slate • May 13, 2026
Indeed, because that is the case, voters may be reluctant to vote for them in the first place.
From BBC • May 9, 2026
I’m not convinced that limiting Social Security benefits to $50,000 a year would meaningfully extend the program’s life, because so few people receive that amount in benefits in the first place.
From MarketWatch • May 4, 2026
Land forces positioned forward can deny success in the first place.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 2026
We sat there, looking at the house, and I had a hard time remembering why we had come in the first place.
From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen
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.
