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Definitions

in the first place

ADVERB

chiefly

Synonyms

STRONGEST

especially essentially largely mostly predominantly principally

STRONG

mainly primarily

WEAK

above all in general in the main on the whole overall usually

Antonyms

WEAK

unimportantly

ADVERB

first

Synonyms

STRONGEST

initially originally

WEAK

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

Antonyms

WEAK

finally last

ADVERB

first off

Synonyms

WEAK

first of all first thing firstly foremost immediately primo up front

ADVERB

originally

Synonyms

STRONGEST

basically formerly

STRONG

primitively

WEAK

at first at the outset at the start by birth by origin first in the beginning incipiently primarily to begin with

Antonyms

WEAK

secondarily

ADVERB

primarily

Synonyms

WEAK

at first at the start first and foremost from the start initially originally primitively

Antonyms

WEAK

finally secondarily

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 first of all for the most part fundamentally 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.

The pieces were on loan from a Bucharest museum, whose head was promptly sacked for lending the works out in the first place.

From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026

Even online users that were hypothetical proponents of taking the long walk admitted they wouldn’t actually do it themselves, or weren’t even attending the matches in the first place.

From Salon • Jun. 3, 2026

Arsenal are even better placed for that, so if they are able to get up the pitch in the first place, forcing corner kicks or winning free-kicks will produce good looks at goal.

From BBC • May 30, 2026

Often no real wrongs are committed in the first place, but companies settle to avoid a very low probability of extremely large damages.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026

The only people who weren’t mad were the Herdmans, because when the cat finally came home, it was all clean and fluffy from the shaving lather, and that’s what they wanted in the first place.

From "The Best School Year Ever" by Barbara Robinson

in the first place

Example Sentences

Related Words