first

Meaning

Adj

1. (no-comparative) Preceding all others of a series or kind; the ordinal of one; earliest.
2. (no-comparative) Most eminent or exalted; most excellent; chief; highest.
3. (no-comparative) Of or belonging to a first family.
4. (no-comparative) Coming right after the zeroth in things that use zero-based numbering.

Adv

1. (not-comparable) Before anything else; firstly.
2. (not-comparable) For the first time.
3. (Hong-Kong, nonstandard, not-comparable) Now.

Noun

1. (uncountable) The person or thing in the first position.
2. (uncountable) The first gear of an engine.
3. (countable) Something that has never happened before; a new occurrence.
4. (countable) First base.
5. (British, colloquial, countable) A first-class honours degree.
6. (colloquial, countable) A first-edition copy of some publication.
7. (countable, in-compounds, uncountable) A fraction whose (integer) denominator ends in the digit 1.

Verb

To propose (a new motion) in a meeting, which must subsequently be seconded.

Noun

Time; time granted; respite.

Synonyms

beginning

at first

initial

firstly

before

foremost

primary

first of all

best

original

ahead

chief

number one

beforehand

former

in front

at the beginning

in the first place

initially

front

previously

outset

principal

commencement

prior

highest

earlier

in the beginning

pre-eminent

earliest

first time

begin with

first base

start

maiden

prime

lead

originally

first off

head

first-born

leading

previous

early

initiatory

incipient

first gear

immediately

from the beginning

greatest

Translations

premier

1st

primero

primo

1st

primeiro

primer

1st

erste

1st

prima

eerste

1st

erst

zuerst

d’abord

πρώτος

erster

première

Pronounced as (IPA)

/fɜːst/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: first

Inherited from Old English: fyrest

Cognate with Northern Frisian: foarste

Cognate with Dutch: voorste

Cognate with German: Fürst

Cognate with Swedish: först

Cognate with Norwegian Nynorsk: fyrst

Cognate with Icelandic: fyrstur

Cognate with Sanskrit: पूर्व

Cognate with Russian: первый

In summary

From Middle English first, furst, ferst, fyrst, from Old English fyrest, from Proto-West Germanic *furist, from Proto-Germanic *furistaz (“foremost, first”), superlative of Proto-Germanic *fur, *fura, *furi (“before”), from Proto-Indo-European *per-, *pero- (“forward, beyond, around”), equivalent to fore + -est.
Cognate with North Frisian foarste (“first”), Dutch voorste (“foremost, first”), German Fürst (“chief, prince”, literally “first (born)”), Swedish först (“first”), Norwegian Nynorsk fyrst (“first”), Icelandic fyrstur (“first”).
Other cognates include Sanskrit पूर्व (pūrva, “first”) and Russian первый (pervyj).

Sentences

This also happened to be his first goal with the club .

The first two referred questions were also dealt with .

He became the first Frenchman to win the World Championship .

You've resented me from the first moment you saw me !

It is best known for being one of the first stages Eminem performed .

The first three pledge manuals of the fraternity were written by Walter B . Palmer .