firstly

[furst-lee] / ˈfɜrst li /

ADVERB

basically

Synonyms

STRONGEST

essentially mostly

WEAK

at heart at the bottom in essence in substance inherently intrinsically primarily radically

Antonyms

WEAK

additionally extra inessentially

ADVERB

first off

Synonyms

WEAK

first of all first thing foremost immediately in the first place primo up front

ADVERB

radically

Synonyms

STRONGEST

essentially

WEAK

basically fundamentally primarily primitively

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.

"I didn't message him, I rang him. I called firstly to congratulate him on the incredible job he has done with Bournemouth," Arteta said.

From BBC • May 21, 2026

The reason it was so important to me to support this work is, firstly, because of free speech, obviously.

From Slate • May 18, 2026

Prior to the Ashes he had not played Test cricket for 15 months, firstly because of an elbow injury, followed by the knee problem.

From BBC • May 2, 2026

He was twice cleared of the claims, firstly after an internal investigation conducted by a lawyer, then by another lawyer who dismissed the complainant's appeal.

From BBC • Feb. 24, 2026

These were the six things the dwarfs gathered: For firstly, the footsteps of a cat.

From "Norse Mythology" by Neil Gaiman

firstly

Example Sentences

Related Words