1️⃣ Earliest in order ⏩ Before anything 🏅 The winner ⚾ Baseball position 🚗 Lowest car gear 🎓 Top university grade

first

1 7.7

A top university degree given in Britain

noun
/fɜːst/

: grado de primera clase

Firsts rated many of these items differently than non-firsts.
many firsts
firsts at college
twice as many firsts

Examples

Granted, firsts are always important and great for the people who achieve them, and she should be proud.

Blog text (7)
Gary took two firsts and a second.
At Cambridge, Empson won firsts in mathematics and English.

Academic text (2009)
Thus, the sample size was reduced to 3,405 students, with 40.9% (n = 1,393) firsts and 59.1% (n = 2,012) nonfirsts.

Academic text (1999)
At Cambridge, Empson won firsts in mathematics and English.
Brewer, who died at age 78 in 1975, achieved a number of firsts in his field.

Synonyms

first class

vsfirst

54 3.2

The highest rank or grade given for very good work

refers specifically to the top honours undergraduate degree in Britain

first-class honours degree

vsfirst

1 6.3

A university undergraduate degree given to students with the highest grades

is the same but specifically an honours degree in British universities

Idioms

first of all

∞ 1.0

To say the first or most important point at the start of a talk

at first

∞ 1.0

In the beginning before things change

in the first place

862 3.4

To give the main or first reason

first off

Informal

155 2.8

To say something before you do anything else

first up

Informal

69 3.7

To say which person or thing comes first

at first sight

48 3.3

When you first see something and notice or feel something right away

love at first sight

37 3.4

A strong feeling for someone the first time you see them

at first glance

35 3.5

You notice something before you look more closely

first come, first served

10 3.2

People are helped in the order they arrive with no exceptions

first blush

Informal

9 6.6

An early opinion before careful thought

to cast the first stone

Literature

8 7.7

To be the first to criticize someone when you have the same fault

on the first try

8 3.1

Succeeding the first time you try something

at first blush

7 6.8

When you first look at something, it seems right before you check details

feet first

Informal

6 5.3

Entering a new situation eagerly and without hesitation

to get to first base

Informal

5 7.7

To make the first real progress in work or a relationship

first among equals

Formal

2 7.3

The most important person in a group of people who have the same position

at first hand

1 3.5

Directly from the person, place, or event involved

first port of call

1 3.9

The first place you go to for help or information

to shoot first and ask questions later

Informal

1 8.4

Act quickly without thinking or checking facts

of the first water

Archaic

1 9.9

Of very high quality, like the best examples

on first-name terms

1 4.3

People are friendly and call each other by their first names

first and last

Formal

1 5.3

In a way that shows something is most important

to play first fiddle

Informal

1 7.3

To lead a group or activity as the most important person

scholar of the first water

Archaic

1 9.9

A very respected expert with deep knowledge of a subject

first and last of its kind

8.5

A unique thing or event that will never happen again

first of never

Informal

9.9

People say this to show that something will not happen

to go with one's first instinct

Informal

5.3

Decide using your first feeling instead of thinking too much

jewel of the first water

Archaic

9.9

A person or thing of the very highest quality

not (one's) first rodeo

Informal

9.9

Experienced and not new to a task or situation

Compounds

first time

∞ 1.0

An occasion when someone does or experiences something they have not done before

first step

308 1.4

The first action you take to begin something

first lady

301 3.0

The wife of a president or other top government leader

first-class

209 3.4

Of the highest quality and very good

first-year

204 3.0

A person who started school, college, or a job this year

first name

201 1.0

A name given at birth used before the family name

First Amendment

195 4.0

An amendment to the U.S. Constitution that protects freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and the right to petition

first half

168 1.0

The first period of a game when play is split into two equal parts

first round

154 2.5

The first set of matches in a competition where all players or teams play

first degree

Specialized

134 6.7

An equation or polynomial with no power higher than one

first place

89 2.1

The top position in a competition or race

first aid

72 2.0

Help given quickly to a sick or injured person before a doctor arrives

first love

72 3.2

The first person you have strong romantic feelings for

first class

68 3.7

In the most comfortable and expensive way when you travel

first floor

67 1.1

The floor at ground level in American English and the floor above the ground floor in British English

first appearance

56 3.5

The first time a person or thing is seen in public, often in a new role

first class

54 3.2

The highest rank or grade given for very good work

first-rate

45 3.8

Very high quality or done very well

First World War

41 2.8

A large war in Europe from 1914 to 1918 between many countries, also called World War I

first light

33 1.7

The time in the morning when the sky starts to get bright

first prize

33 1.0

The top award given to the winner in a competition

first-aid kit

33 1.8

A box or bag with bandages and medicine to treat injuries

first period

33 2.0

The first part of the playing time in a game, for example in hockey or basketball

first attempt

30 1.9

A first try to do something new

first person

29 1.6

The pronoun and verb form a speaker uses to talk about themselves like I and we

first base

28 2.4

The first of four points on the field that a runner must touch to score

first birthday

28 1.0

A party to celebrate a child's first year

first clue

26 2.3

An early sign that helps you notice or find something

first sergeant

Jargon

25 7.7

A senior soldier who helps manage a company and handles records and daily tasks

first baseman

21 3.6

A player at first base who catches throws to get runners out

first mate

Specialized

19 5.0

An officer just below the captain in charge of the crew and deck work

first cousin

18 1.0

A child of your aunt or uncle who shares a grandparent with you

first team

16 3.3

The main college or university sports team made of the best players

first trimester

Specialized

16 3.1

The first three months of pregnancy when the baby starts to grow

first principles

Formal

14 5.8

Basic ideas and facts that form the foundation of a subject

first language

14 2.2

The language a person learns from birth and speaks at home

first strike

NSFW

12 8.6

A surprise attack with nuclear weapons to destroy an enemy's ability to fight back

first lieutenant

Jargon

12 5.3

A military officer who is one rank below a captain

first offender

11 4.4

A person found guilty of a crime for the first time

first base

10 3.1

A player who stands at first base to catch throws and get runners out

first base

Informal

9 4.4

An early step toward reaching a goal

first lady

7 3.5

A very famous and respected woman in a field like music or theatre

first symptom

7 3.3

The earliest sign that shows you have an illness

first-string

6 6.0

A main player who regularly starts games and is not a substitute

sergeant first class

Specialized

5 5.5

A senior Army soldier who leads and trains other soldiers

first hurdle

5 4.1

The first problem you must solve to start a task

first commandment

5 6.8

The most important rule to follow in a group or activity

first class

5 2.2

A mail service that gives letters and small packages faster delivery

first cause

Formal

4 9.9

A being or force believed to be the original reason everything exists and was not made by anything

first-time caller

4 3.7

A person who calls a radio or TV show for the first time

first gear

4 2.8

A gear in a car that makes the car move slowly when you start

first mortgage

Specialized

4 5.1

A loan on a house that must be paid before other loans if the owner cannot pay

first reading

Formal

4 6.2

Members of parliament read a bill for the first time before full debate

first strike

Specialized

4 5.0

An attack launched early to stop a threat that is about to happen, for example in war or computer attacks

first frost

4 3.5

The first time in a season when a thin layer of ice forms on plants overnight

first-place finish

3 3.5

Winning a race or contest by coming first

First of May

3 3.8

A holiday on 1 May that celebrates spring festivals and workers

first-degree burn

Specialized

2 3.4

A mild injury to the top layer of the skin that causes redness and pain without blisters

first class

2 3.4

The most comfortable and expensive seats on a plane, train, or ship

first gentleman

Formal

2 7.2

Husband of a woman leader who acts as the official host at state events

First Crusade

2 9.9

A military campaign by Western European Christians from 1096 to 1099 to capture Jerusalem, creating states ruled by Western Christians

first-aid station

2 3.4

A place where people get quick medical help before hospital care

first-class mail

Formal

2 2.2

A fast mail service for letters and small packages that is delivered before other mail

first quarter

Specialized

2 3.2

The time when the Moon looks half lit about one week after the new moon

first loser

Informal

1 7.9

A person or team that finishes second in a competition

first law of thermodynamics

Specialized

1 4.5

Total energy in a place where nothing enters or leaves stays the same while it changes form

first-time user

1 2.8

A person using something for the first time

Newton's first law

Specialized

1 4.1

An object stays still or keeps moving at the same speed and direction unless a force acts on it

First Reich

1 9.9

A name for the Holy Roman Empire as the first of three German empires

First Battle of Bull Run

1 7.9

A major early Civil War battle fought in July 1861 near Manassas, Virginia that the Confederate army won

first-rate education

1 3.7

A high quality school or university training that gives strong knowledge and skills

first water

Archaic

1 8.6

The highest quality, like a perfect diamond

first stomach

Specialized

1 8.3

Part of a cow's stomach that stores food to be chewed again

How Good

first

1 7.7

second class

35 3.8

third

∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

first singular

firsts plural

Etymology

The degree called a first is short for first-class and comes from the old English fyrst meaning 'before' or 'most important'. So a first is the highest honour because it stands 'before' other classes.