Definition Synonyms
Definition of first - Reverso English Dictionary
Adjective
1.
earliestcoming before all others in time or order
- She was the first person to arrive.
2.
besthighest in rank or quality
- He is the first choice for the job.
3.
musicTECH. denoting the principal part in musicTECH.
- She played the first violin in the orchestra.
Noun
1.
orderthe person or thing in the foremost position
- She was the first in line for tickets.
2.
positioninitial occurrence in a series or sequence
- His first of the season was memorable..
3.
sportsTECH. US the initial base in baseballTECH. US
- He safely reached first after the hit.
4.
automotiveTECH. the initial gear in a vehicle's transmissionTECH.
- He shifted into first to start the car.
5.
musicTECH. leading part in an orchestraTECH.
- He played the first violin in the orchestra.
6.
educationTECH. UK top academic degree in the UKTECH. UK
- She graduated with a first in mathematics.
Adverb
1.
sequence timehappening before anything else in time or order
- She finished her homework first before watching TV.
2.
beginningin the beginning or at the start of a sequence
- First, clean the surface before painting.
Images of first
the initial base in baseball
Expressions with first
💡 Discover popular phrases, idioms, collocations, or phrasal verbs. Click any expression to learn more, listen to its pronunciation, or save it to your favorites.
arrange something at the beginning of a sequence
He put the most important task first on his list.
give in or show weakness before the other side
He didn't want to blink first during the tense meeting.
time when light first appears in the morning
We set out on our hike at first light.
introduce the first point or start the first action before others
First off, we need to discuss the budget before proceeding.
immediately upon seeing something or someone
She fell in love at first sight.
address important tasks before others
First things first, finish your homework before playing.
persistence is important in the pursuit of success
If at first you don't succeed, try again.
moving while the vehicle is set to its lowest gear
He drove in first gear up the steep hill.
take the first step in a process
He made the first move in negotiating the deal.
express conditional death happening before others in a situation
He said he would die first if the disease worsened.
allocated in order of arrival or request
Tickets are available on a first-come-first-served basis.
in an impulsive manner without prior thought
She tends to act first, think later in emergencies.
on first seeing someone or something immediately
At first glance, the painting looks simple.
indicate the first action or event in a sequence
First up, we will discuss the project goals.
polite gesture to let women go ahead
He held the door open and said 'ladies first'.
to take quick action without checking details first
He tends to shoot first and ask questions later in meetings.
act immediately without checking facts or reasons first
He shot first and asked questions later in the meeting.
initiate physical conflict by hitting first
He decided to strike the first blow in the brawl.
act self-righteously in accusing another person
She cast the first stone, ignoring her own mistakes.
cause the first injury in a fight or battle
He managed to draw first blood in the boxing match.
act decisively without gathering all information
In negotiations, he tends to shoot first, ask questions later.
take action immediately without prior deliberation
In emergencies, they act first and question later.
from the original source or personal experience
She learned about the incident at first hand from the witnesses..
successfully on the first attempt
He hit the target at the first shot.
Origin of first
Old English, fyrst (foremost)
Terms with first included in their meaning
💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
morning eating
food and drink served at the first meal of the day
grammar
first-person singular object of a verb
object of preposition
first-person singular object of a preposition
order
coming directly after the first in order
order position
position in a sequence after the first
anatomy
short thick first digit in humans and comparable digit in other animals
food
consume the first meal of the day
evening time
the start of the twenty-first hour of the day
abr: January
first month of the year
greetings
polite greeting when first introduced
midnight
the start of the first hour of the day
food
eat the first meal of the day, usually in the morning
initial stage
the first part or earliest stage of something
water entry
jump into water head-first
language
first letter of a word or name
rank
next to the first in importance or quality
sequence
in a list, after the first item or point
ordinal position
coming next after the twenty-first in position
time sequence
starting at the first moment or original point
person
complete name including first, middle, and last names
identity
name between first name and surname
ranking
someone ranked first in a competition
abr: Sunday
short form for the first day of the week
occasion
on the first subsequent occasion
Examples of first in a sentence
He was the first student to finish the exam. The first team to finish wins the prize. Her first novel won several awards. He was assigned the first trumpet part. The first clarinet had a solo. He was the first to finish the race.
The first on the list was her name. Her first in the competition was unexpected. The first of the new batch was defective. The runner stole first with incredible speed. First is often the most contested base in games. The car lurched as he engaged first. She smoothly transitioned from first to second gear. She aspired to play the first in the symphony. The first was crucial for the performance's success. He was proud to receive a first in physics. A first in history opened many career doors for her. He arrived first at the conference this morning. First, mix the ingredients thoroughly before baking. First, turn on the power, then adjust settings. She first arrived at dawn before anyone else.
View all translations of first
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:premier, première, ...
- German:erste, Erste, ...
- Italian:primo, prima, ...
- Spanish:primero, primera, ...
- Portuguese:primeiro, líder, ...
- Chinese:第一个, 首位, ...
- Japanese:最初の, 一番, ...
- Arabic:أَوَّل, مُتَقَدِّم, ...
- Hebrew:רִאשׁוֹן, בָּסִיס רִאשׁוֹן, ...
- Russian:первый, лидер, ...
- Ukrainian:перший, перша позиція, ...
- Hindi:पहला, पहला आधार, ...
icon to discover related terms: analogies, antonyms, common collocates, words with same roots, umbrella terms… Try with happening or hunch.
icon next to the first example to see two additional options and learn to use new vocabulary naturally.
icon to save words you want to revisit. You can also save a specific meaning by clicking on the