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Glite Dictionary
🧤 A fielding position ⚾ A baseball base 1️⃣ First step
first base

first base

8 4.4
An early step toward reaching a goal
  • noun
  • Informal
translation icon : primer paso
  • Understanding the basics will help you get to first base before tackling more complex issues.
  • get to first base

Examples

Synonyms

first step
vsfirst base
281 1.4

The first action you take to begin something

is the broader earliest stage rather than a single action
starting point
vsfirst base
69 3.0

A place, time, or situation that people use as a basis for later action

is the earliest stage in progress rather than just a location or moment
ground floor
vsfirst base
13 3.7

An early stage of a company or project before it grows

is the first stage of progress not focused on early advantage
jumping-off point
vsfirst base
7 4.2

A place, idea, or situation where new action begins

is the initial stage of progress rather than a launching platform

Antonyms

endgame phase
6.1

The final stage of a process when the result is decided or very near

How Advanced

completion
108 2.4
milestone
103 3.2
first base
  • Informal
8 4.4
idea
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

first base singular
first bases plural

Morphology

first + base

The components 'first' (initial) and 'base' (a starting point or foundation) combine to yield the sense 'initial stage', so a learner who knows both words can often infer the meaning. However, the usage is metaphorical and rests on a baseball-derived notion of 'base' as a stage; that cultural/specific sense may not be immediately obvious to all B1 learners, making the relation only partially predictable.

Etymology

First base comes from the idea in baseball that you must reach the bases in order, so getting to first is the first step toward scoring; that's why the phrase now means the 'first step' or 'early stage' of a plan.