at the front of mind
- idiom
:
en la mente
- She wanted to make sure the children's safety remained at the front of mind throughout the event.
Examples
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The question of sustainability was always at the front of mind during the project's planning stage.
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Customer satisfaction is at the front of mind for our entire team.
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Health should be at the front of mind!
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The deadline is at the front of mind.
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Customer satisfaction is at the front of mind for our entire team.
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She wanted to ensure that the children's safety was at the front of mind throughout the event.
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The question of sustainability was consistently at the front of mind during the project's planning stage.
Synonyms
928
1.2
To think about as a plan or choice
275
3.4
You keep thinking about something and cannot stop
8
4.2
A thing that needs the most attention right now
3
4.7
The thing someone thinks about most right now
1
6.3
An idea you think about before others
Thinking about something a lot and feeling worried
How Salient
3
4.7
- US
5
4.4
275
3.4
27
2.1
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase combines the concrete spatial noun 'front' (foremost position) with 'mind' (attention/thought), so a learner can map 'at the front of mind' onto being foremost in attention — i.e. a main concern. This simple spatial-to-mental metaphor is common across languages and follows a standard English prepositional noun phrase pattern, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words will very likely infer the intended meaning.
Etymology
At the front of mind comes from a simple image: imagine your thoughts are like cards on a table, and the card at the front of your mind is the one you see and reach for first. So if something is at the front of mind, it is the 'main concern' or focus right now.