foremost

[ fawr-mohst, -muhst, fohr- ]

adjective

1. first in place, order, rank, etc.:

   the foremost surgeons.

   Synonyms: paramount, principal, chief, prime, primary

foremost

/ ˈfɔːˌməʊst /

adjective

1. first in time, place, rank, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of foremost¹

before 1000; fore ¹ + -most; replacing Middle English, Old English formest, equivalent to form ( a ) first, variant of fruma (compare Latin prīmus ) + -est -est ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of foremost¹

Old English formest , from forma first; related to Old Saxon formo first, Old High German fruma advantage

Idioms and Phrases

see first and foremost .

Example Sentences

First and foremost, you want to be good at your job and make people laugh.

From Los Angeles Times

Back in August, this space presented the query that was foremost in the mind of the increasingly uneasy Trojans family.

From Los Angeles Times

The beating heart of the Democratic Party is an economic, class-based coalition first and foremost….

From Salon

"It's evident that it is first and foremost children and women who are paying a price for this senseless war," he added.

From BBC

They’ll need to outwit him, first and foremost, and they prove that they can.

From Los Angeles Times