Definitions

first of all

ADVERB

first off

Synonyms

WEAK

first thing firstly foremost immediately in the first place primo up front

ADVERB

principally

Synonyms

STRONGEST

basically chiefly first and foremost generally importantly largely mostly notably particularly predominantly

STRONG

primarily

WEAK

above all before anything else cardinally dominantly eminently especially essentially for the most part fundamentally in the first place in the main materially peculiarly preeminently prevailingly prevalently substantially superlatively supremely to a great degree universally vitally

Antonyms

WEAK

secondarily trivially

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.

They tell hikers, first of all, to stay on the marked trails.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 23, 2026

You have to, first of all, for PR purposes, make everybody think they’re going to be accountable for everything going forward.

From Slate • Feb. 17, 2026

And I'm very, very, thankful that first of all, I'm healthy, had healthy people around me, and in the future, I'm not thinking about what happened in one year.

From BBC • Feb. 7, 2026

"Novak, we played many, many times and every time it's a lesson, first of all," he said.

From Barron's • Jan. 26, 2026

“To do evil a human being must first of all believe that what he’s doing is good, or else that it’s a well-considered act in conformity with natural law.”

From "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates

first of all

Example Sentences

Related Words