first-rate
Americanadjective
-
excellent; superb.
-
of the highest rank, rate, or class.
adverb
adjective
-
of the best or highest rated class or quality
-
informal very good; excellent
adverb
Etymology
Origin of first-rate
First recorded in 1660–70
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The legislation does not foresee an increase in the size of France's armed forces, which remains at 210,000 active-duty personnel, 225 combat aircraft and 15 first-rate frigates.
From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026
“He is assuredly a first-rate and widely respected orthopedic surgeon,” Stephen Larson, an attorney for Khounganian, said in a statement.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 31, 2025
He proves his stature as a first-rate actor by rendering these repetitious eruptions of bitterness insignificant.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 14, 2025
The four-part miniseries was created by Mike Makowsky, inspired by historian Candace Millard’s “Destiny of the Republic,” which was also the source for the first-rate “Murder of a President” that appeared on PBS in 2016.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 6, 2025
He feels that he is a first-rate dog and has no wish to be a second-rate human.
From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
