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first

first

∞ 1.0
Coming before all others in order, time, or importance
  • adjective
  • /fɜrst/
: primero
  • I just want to make a good first impression.
  • first time
  • first year
  • first place

What was that like that first day on set?

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Examples

  • And you're the very first person to even try!

    #No_Filter (2022)

  • That's my first memory, actually.

    All of Us Strangers (2023)

  • What was that like that first day on set?

    Film Courage

  • And I was in the first room of the tour.

    Theo Von

  • So this is your first day out of training.

    Dr. Phil

  • At our hotel for our first trip of the summer.

  • Maybe it was the first time anyone ever looked at you.

    Lisa Frankenstein (2024)

  • Was it this hard the first time?

    Babes (2024)

  • For many students entering community colleges, the first stop on campus is an assessment center.

    Academic text (2011)

  • This is your first opportunity to showcase your talents in front of an audience.

Synonyms

primary
vsfirst
691 2.5

Being most important or basic

can additionally mean the earliest in sequence or order
initial
vsfirst
597 3.4

Happening at the start of something

can additionally mean most prominent rather than merely at the start
foremost
vsfirst
154 4.2

Most important in a group or area

can also mean earliest in order or time rather than only important
earliest
vsfirst
132 1.0

Coming before all others in time

can also indicate priority in importance rather than only time
inaugural
vsfirst
  • Formal
85 6.5

Relating to the start of something new, like a leader taking office or a first event

can be more general, meaning order or importance beyond ceremony
beginning
vsfirst
30 1.0

Something that is at the first stage of a process

can be used for prominence or rank as well as the start
premiere
vsfirst
21 6.4

Happening first in time or order

can mean earliest in time or most important
maiden
vsfirst
17 5.4

Happening for the first time

can also refer to being foremost in rank or importance
leadoff
vsfirst
  • US
10 4.1

Coming first in a series or event

can also mean the most important rather than only the initial position
premier
vsfirst
2 5.2

First in time, happening before other things

can also refer to higher importance rather than only time
initiatory
vsfirst
1 8.4

Having a role that starts a process or event

can instead describe prominence or priority rather than only starting

Antonyms

last
∞ 1.0

At the end and cannot be changed

final
∞ 1.0

Last and cannot be changed or reversed

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
  • US
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
  • US
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
  • US
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
  • UK
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
  • US
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
  • UK
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

Surface Forms

first positive
firster comparative
firstest superlative

Etymology

First comes from an old English word fyrst that meant 'before' and is related to fore as in before or forecast. So first keeps that meaning of coming before all others in order, time, or importance.