first

[furst] / fɜrst /

ADJECTIVE

earliest in order

Synonyms

STRONGEST

early

STRONG

aboriginal antecedent anterior basic beginning cardinal front fundamental head inaugural initial key leading opening original pioneer premier primary prime primitive

WEAK

elementary first off headmost in the beginning inceptive incipient introductory lead off number one numero uno primeval primogenial primordial pristine right up front rudimentary

Antonyms

STRONGEST

last

STRONG

ending extra final following second

ADJECTIVE

highest in importance

Synonyms

STRONG

arch champion chief dominant foremost head leading main premier primary prime primo principal ranking ruling sovereign

WEAK

A number one advanced eminent first-class first-string greatest head of the line number one outstanding paramount predominant preeminent supreme top of the list top-flight

Antonyms

STRONG

auxiliary inessential inferior least minor secondary subordinate trivial unimportant unnecessary

ADVERB

at the beginning

Synonyms

STRONGEST

initially originally

WEAK

ahead at the outset before all else beforehand in the first place to begin with to start with

Antonyms

WEAK

finally last

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.

He joined WSM in 1994 and had Charlie Daniels as his first in-studio guest.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2026

The reading came days after figures showing a forecast-busting jump in jobs creation last month ramped up bets on the Federal Reserve hiking interest rates for the first time since 2023.

From Barron's • Jun. 11, 2026

"We were surprised ourselves by how strongly this molecule influences the structure, connectivity, and function of mitochondria," explains Dr. Tetiana Poliezhaieva, the study's first author.

From Science Daily • Jun. 11, 2026

According to this idea, these materials were especially important during the earliest stages of life's development, helping generate the first biologically relevant molecules from nonliving substances.

From Science Daily • Jun. 10, 2026

When she first arrived with a few hundred prisoners, she thought it would only be weeks before the Americans rescued them.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

first

Example Sentences

Related Words