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Glite Dictionary
first and last

first and last

1 5.3
In a way that shows something is most important
  • idiom
  • Formal
translation icon : ante todo
  • Hopefully, this is Obama's first and last term.
  • the first and last time

Examples

  • Again, first and last, I think you're right.

  • This is the first and last comment I will make on this thread.

    Blog text (18)

  • It was the first and last time Miz Smith said anything important to her.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • That was when Verka and Arkadiy were 16 and 17 respectively, in the tenth grade, about to leave school, and he had invited her to his home for the first and last time.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • This is the first and last comment I will make on this thread.

  • It was the first and last time Miz Smith said anything important to her.

  • Hopefully, this is Obama's first and last term.

Synonyms

first
vsfirst and last
∞ 1.0

Before anything else or at the beginning

focuses on being primary overall rather than mere sequence
first of all
vsfirst and last
890 1.0

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

means primary across everything, not only the opening remark
above all
vsfirst and last
77 2.1

More than anything else

expresses that primary importance across all aspects and cases
firstly
vsfirst and last
50 1.0

To give the first reason or point in a list

refers to overall fundamental priority, not just a list opener
foremostly
vsfirst and last
  • Archaic
6.7

Most of all, more important than other things

is about being primary in every respect when viewing the whole

Antonyms

secondary
267 3.5

Less important than the main thing or coming after it

How Important

first and last
  • Formal
1 5.3

Surface Forms

first and last positive

Morphology

first + and + last

The individual words are transparent, but their combination is not straightforwardly compositional: 'first' and 'last' appear contradictory, and the idiomatic sense 'above all' or 'in every respect' is not fully predictable from the parts. There is some logic (e.g. from beginning to end, or giving primacy) so a learner might guess a related general sense, but the precise idiomatic meaning usually requires exposure.

Etymology

First and last comes from the image of something being true at the very beginning as first and at the very end as last. So if it is true both first and last, it is the main or most important thing, and that's why first and last means 'above all else'.