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firstly
/ ˈfɜːstlɪ /
adverb
- coming before other points, questions, etc
Example Sentences
Although the Ibrox boss conceded his team "were not sharp enough" defensively, he firstly bemoaned a lack of cutting edge in attack.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are playing back-to-back games in London again, firstly as the designated away side against the rebuilding Chicago Bears and their new star QB Williams.
"The good news is firstly, it’s almost certainly not cancerous and secondly, I’ve caught it in the earlier stages of damage," he added.
Nigeria’s economic difficulties can be linked to three main things - firstly, a government policy that ended the pegging of the value of the currency, the naira, to the US dollar.
But as AINs they will not - firstly because the IOC is not including their medals in their table of nations, but in any case they are individuals rather than a team.
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Related Words
Is Firstly A Word?
And is firstly in the dictionary?
Firstly is a word. There may be some confusion about this because some writing advice states you shouldn’t use firstly but instead the shorter first. However, both firstly and first are valid terms.
More About Firstly
What does firstly mean?
Firstly means in the first place or first, as in Firstly, I did study for the test, and secondly, the test was long and difficult.
You will most often see firstly at the start of a sentence that details a first point in an argument. Sentences that detail other points in the argument may begin with second, secondly, and similar terms that number (that is, enumerate) your points.
Example: Firstly, I’d like to point out that I was never on the site on that day.
Where does firstly come from?
The first records of the term firstly come from around 1525. It ultimately comes from the Old English fyrst. It combines the word first, meaning “before all others,” and the suffix –ly, which creates adverbs out of adjectives.
You might have heard that you should use first instead of firstly to introduce a sentence, but the reasons for this aren’t very strong. Firstly, you might have heard that it isn’t a word or isn’t proper grammar, but firstly has been an acceptable way to number a first point for several hundred years. Second, you might hear that first is better because it’s shorter. We can’t argue with that, but unless you’re writing a tweet, two letters might not make a difference. Thirdly, you could be told that using firstly sounds overly formal. If you use a lot of other words with a formal tone, that could be true. But one word does not create the tone for a whole document.
If you do use firstly, you might be advised to use secondly, thirdly, and so on for consistency. Consistency is a fine thing, but many skilled writers have mixed enumeration styles without comment, including English essayist and critic William Hazlitt and US president Jimmy Carter (and now Dictionary.com). Using firstly is a matter of writing style rather than proper grammar or usage. While you should probably follow whatever style your teacher wants you to, it isn’t wrong to use firstly.
Did you know … ?
What are some synonyms for firstly?
What are some words that share a root or word element with firstly?
What are some words that often get used in discussing firstly?
What are some words firstly may be commonly confused with?
How is firstly used in real life?
When used, firstly often appears in more formal writing or contexts that want to sound more formal or proper.
Firstly I wanna thank everyone for sending me loving kindness and extending your energy my direction .Thank u for your prayers, I feel them and deeply appreciate you 🙏🏾❤️ I love you.
— SZA (@sza) June 17, 2018
firstly, i'm in Copenhagen and it's lovely 💕
— 👼🏼 (@troyesivan) May 16, 2016
Firstly, what a night to be involved in! an incredible and much deserved win against the World Cup winners, makes me proud to be English! 👊🏼
— Jack Butland (@JackButland_One) March 27, 2016
Try using firstly!
True or False?
It’s OK to use firstly to start a sentence.
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