first and last of its kind
- idiom
:
único en su especie
- Many believed the art exhibition would be the first and last of its kind because of its enormous cost.
Examples
-
The lunar mission was the first and last of its kind, making history for its originality.
-
The ceremony was the first and last of its kind, as it commemorated a once-in-a-lifetime achievement.
-
This exhibit is the first and last of its kind in the world!
-
The event was a first and last of its kind for our town.
-
The groundbreaking conference was the first and last of its kind, addressing issues that had never been tackled before.
-
Experts declared that this particular species of plant is the first and last of its kind, as it has not been seen anywhere else in the world.
-
The festival celebrating the rare cultural tradition was the first and last of its kind, drawing attention from media worldwide.
Synonyms
66
3.6
Only one thing or person like it exists
65
3.9
A single person or thing that is special and has no equal
8
5.6
An event that happens only once and is not repeated
8
3.8
A one-of-a-kind event or moment that you cannot have again
A single event or thing that happens only once
A thing that exists only once
Surface Forms
Morphology
first + and + last + of + its + kind
The phrase's meaning is directly built from its parts: 'first' and 'last' combined with 'of its kind' signals that something is both the initial and the final instance of that type, i.e. unique. This compositional pattern is literal and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words can reliably infer the intended meaning.
Etymology
First and last of its kind gives a simple picture: something is the first time it happens and, because it is so special or costly, it will also be the last time. So the phrase means an event or thing is 'unique' and 'won't be repeated'.