first and foremost

ADVERB

mainly

Synonyms

STRONG

chiefly primarily principally

WEAK

above all essentially generally in general in the main largely most of all mostly on the whole overall predominantly substantially to the greatest extent usually

Antonyms

STRONG

secondarily

ADVERB

primarily

Synonyms

WEAK

at first at the start from the start in the first place initially originally primitively

Antonyms

WEAK

finally secondarily

ADVERB

principally

Synonyms

STRONGEST

basically chiefly generally importantly largely mostly notably particularly predominantly

STRONG

primarily

WEAK

above all before anything else cardinally dominantly eminently especially essentially first of all 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.

“Disclosure Day” is first and foremost just a lot of fun, a showcase for Spielberg’s gifts as a filmmaker and his longstanding collaborations with cinematographer Janusz Kaminski and composer John Williams.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2026

"Obviously, first and foremost, it was absolute disappointment," she said.

From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026

Heteropessimism exists alongside heterosexuality not because being straight is terrible or embarrassing or out of fashion, but because it is, first and foremost, an institution — one that in many places remains dangerous to spurn.

From Salon • Jun. 3, 2026

“The two things that consumers notice and complain about first and foremost are rises in food and fuel prices. Yet, in this case, they continue to spend because they have the money to do so.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

But this one really irked her, and it wasn’t the texting and driving piece, at least not first and foremost.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

first and foremost

Example Sentences

Related Words