first

[ furst ]

adjective

1. being before all others with respect to time, order, rank, importance, etc., used as the ordinal number of one: the first edition; the first vice president.
2. Music. highest or chief among several voices or instruments of the same class:

   first alto; first horn.

3. Automotive. low ¹( def 31 ).
4. (often initial capital letter) being a member of the household or an intimate acquaintance of the president of the United States or of the governor of a state:

   the First Lady; Checkers, the first dog.

adverb

1. before all others or anything else in time, order, rank, etc.
2. before some other thing, event, etc.:

   If you're going, phone first.

3. for the first time:

   She first visited Atlanta in 1980.

4. in preference to something else; rather; sooner:

   I'd die first.

5. in the first place; firstly.

noun

1. the person or thing that is first in time, order, rank, etc.
2. the beginning.
3. the first part; first member of a series.
4. Music.
   1. the voice or instrument that takes the highest or chief part in its class, especially in an orchestra or chorus.
   2. a leader of a part or group of performers.
5. Automotive. low gear; first gear:

   She shifted into first and drove off.

6. the winning position or rank in a race or other competition.
7. Baseball. first base ( def 1 ).
8. Usually firsts. Commerce. Compare second ¹( def 23 ), third ( def 12 ).
   1. a product or goods of the first or highest quality.
   2. goods produced according to specifications, without visible flaws.
9. British University.
   1. first-class honors. class ( def 18 ).
   2. a person who has won such honors.

first

/ fɜːst /

adjective

1. 1. coming before all others; earliest, best, or foremost
   2. ( as noun )

      I was the first to arrive

2. preceding all others in numbering or counting order; the ordinal number of one . Often written: 1st
3. rated, graded, or ranked above all other levels
4. denoting the lowest forward ratio of a gearbox in a motor vehicle
5. music
   1. denoting the highest part assigned to one of the voice parts in a chorus or one of the sections of an orchestra

      the first violins

      first soprano

   2. denoting the principal player in a specific orchestral section

      he plays first horn

6. first thing
   as the first action of the day

   I'll see you first thing tomorrow

7. first things first
   things must be done in order of priority
8. the first thing
   in negative constructions even one thing

   he doesn't know the first thing about me

noun

1. the beginning; outset

   I knew you were a rogue from the first

   I couldn't see at first because of the mist

2. education an honours degree of the highest class Full termfirst-class honours degree
3. something which has not occurred before

   a first for the company

4. the lowest forward ratio of a gearbox in a motor vehicle; low gear
5. music
   1. the highest part in a particular section of a chorus or orchestra
   2. the instrument or voice taking such a part
   3. the chief or leading player in a section of an orchestra; principal
6. music a rare word for prime

adverb

1. before anything else in order, time, preference, importance, etc

   first, remove the head and tail of the fish

   do this first

2. first and last
   on the whole; overall
3. from first to last
   throughout
4. for the first time

   I've loved you since I first saw you

5. sentence modifier in the first place or beginning of a series of actions

   first I want to talk about criminality

Other Words From

• firstness adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of first¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English fyr(e)st; cognate with German Fürst “prince”; fore ¹, -est ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of first¹

Old English fyrest ; related to Old Saxon furist , Old Norse fyrstr , German Fürst prince, one who is first in rank

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. first and last, everything considered; above all else; altogether:

   First and last, it is important to know oneself.

2. first off, Informal. at the outset; in the beginning:

   He wanted to know first off why he hadn't been notified.

3. first thing, before anything else:

   I'll call you first thing when I arrive.

More idioms and phrases containing first

• at first
• at first blush
• at first hand
• cast the first stone
• get to first base
• if at first you don't succeed
• in the first place
• in the (first) flush of
• love at first sight
• not know beans (the first thing)
• of the first water
• on a first-name basis

Example Sentences

It’s all untried and untested technology, and the building — when we first went to see it, it was half-built, OK?

From Los Angeles Times

Coming out of the first few shows, we realized that not only is it working, it’s like all our ideas have landed.

From Los Angeles Times

What was here in potential was an immersive experience — maybe the first of its kind — where you can faithfully represent your live performance so that there’s only a few giveaways that it’s not actually happening live in front of you.

From Los Angeles Times

The first few songs are shot from a steady position in the audience.

From Los Angeles Times

You want people to enjoy the show as it was first designed and imagined.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• initially
• originally