| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | lead, beginning |
| Synonyms: | advanced, ahead, anterior, facial, first, fore, foremost, forward, frontal, head, headmost, in the foreground, leading, obverse, topmost, vanward, ventral |
| Antonyms: | back, ending, final, finishing, rear |
| Main Entry: | first |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | earliest in order |
| Synonyms: | aboriginal, ahead, antecedent, anterior, basic, beginning, cardinal, early, elementary, first off, front, fundamental, head, headmost, in the beginning, inaugural, inceptive, incipient, initial, introductory, key, lead off, leading, least, number one, numero uno, opening, original, pioneer, premier, primary, prime, primeval, primitive, primogenial, primordial, pristine, right up front, rudimentary, slightest, smallest |
| Antonyms: | final, last |
| Main Entry: | foremost |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | first in rank, order |
| Synonyms: | A-1, A-number-1, arch, at the cutting edge, at the leading edge, champion, chief, front, head, headmost, heavy, heavy stuff, heavyweight, highest, hot stuff, hotdog, hotshot, inaugural, initial, leading, most important, number one, original, paramount, preeminent, premier, primary, prime, primo, principal, supreme |
| Antonyms: | inferior, last, least, lowest, secondary, unimportant |
| Main Entry: | forward |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | in front, first |
| Synonyms: | advance, anterior, facial, fore, foremost, front, head, leading, ventral |
| Antonyms: | back, last |
| Main Entry: | head |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | most important; chief |
| Synonyms: | arch, champion, first, foremost, front, highest, leading, main, pioneer, preeminent, premier, prime, principal, stellar, supreme, topmost |
| Antonyms: | auxiliary, inferior, lower, second, secondary, trivial, unimportant |
| Main Entry: | preceding |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | earlier, above |
| Synonyms: | above-mentioned, above-named, aforeknown, aforementioned, aforesaid, ahead of, antecedent, anterior, before, erstwhile, foregoing, forerunning, former, forward, front, head, heretofore, introductory, lead, leading, one time, other, past, pioneer, pioneering, precedent, precursive, precursory, preexistent, prefatory, preliminary, preparatory, prevenient, previous, prior, prodromal, supra |
| Notes: | preceding means 'occurring immediately before the time of the utterance,' while previous means 'occurring at some time before the utterance' |
| Antonyms: | after, below, following, later |