first

/fərst/

/fəst/

Other forms: firsts

First is number one, prior to, or before. First comes first, then comes everything else. It's always good to be first in line or in first class. Who wants to be second? Or worse — last?

Whether it’s a noun, adjective, or adverb, you’ll find first at the beginning and opposite from last. And whether you’ve won first place or have just become the First Lady, first usually indicates a good thing — unless of course you're first to be fired. That doesn’t answer the Abbott and Costello question “Who's on first?” though.

Definitions of first

1. adjective

   preceding all others in time or space or degree
   “the first house on the right”

   “the first day of spring”

   “his first political race”

   “her first baby”

   “the first time”

   “the first meetings of the new party”

   “the first phase of his training”

   synonyms:

   front

   relating to or located in the front

   early

   at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time

   archetypal, archetypical, prototypal, prototypic, prototypical

   representing or constituting an original type after which other similar things are patterned

   basic, introductory

   serving as a base or starting point

   initial

   occurring at the beginning

   eldest, firstborn

   first in order of birth

   first-year, freshman

   used of a person in the first year of an experience (especially in United States high school or college)

   original

   preceding all others in time or being as first made or performed

   premier, premiere

   preceding all others in time

   premier, prime

   first in rank or degree

   prime

   used of the first or originating agent

   original

   being or productive of something fresh and unusual; or being as first made or thought of

   primary

   of first rank or importance or value; direct and immediate rather than secondary

   antonyms:

   last

   coming after all others in time or space or degree or being the only one remaining

   fourth-year, senior

   used of the fourth and final year in United States high school or college

   sunset

   providing for termination

   ultimate

   being the last or concluding element of a series
2. adjective

   ranking above all others
   “was first in her class”

   synonyms: foremost, world-class

   best

   (superlative of `good') having the most positive qualities
3. adjective

   indicating the beginning unit in a series
   synonyms: 1st

   ordinal

   being or denoting a numerical order in a series
4. adjective

   serving to begin
   “the first verse”

   synonyms: beginning

   opening

   first or beginning
5. adjective

   serving to set in motion
   “his first (or maiden) speech in Congress”

   synonyms: inaugural, initiative, initiatory, maiden

   opening

   first or beginning
6. noun

   the first or highest in an ordering or series
   “He wanted to be the first”

   synonyms: number one

   types:

   former

   the first of two or the first mentioned of two

   type of:

   rank

   relative status
7. noun

   the first element in a countable series
   “the first of the month”

   synonyms: number 1, number one

   type of:

   no., ordinal, ordinal number

   the number designating place in an ordered sequence
8. noun

   the time at which something is supposed to begin
   synonyms: beginning, commencement, get-go, kickoff, offset, outset, showtime, start, starting time

   types:

   birth

   the time when something begins (especially life)

   incipience, incipiency

   beginning to exist or to be apparent

   starting point, terminus a quo

   earliest limiting point

   threshold

   the starting point for a new state or experience

   cradle

   birth of a person

   type of:

   point, point in time

   an instant of time
9. adverb

   before another in time, space, or importance
   “I was here first”

   “let's do this job first”
10. adverb

    before anything else
    “first we must consider the garter snake”

    synonyms: first of all, first off, firstly, foremost
11. adverb

    the initial time
    “when Felix first saw a garter snake”

    synonyms: for the first time
12. adverb

    prominently forward
    synonyms: foremost
13. adjective

    highest in pitch or chief among parts or voices or instruments or orchestra sections
    “first soprano”

    “the first violin section”

    “played first horn”

    antonyms:

    second

    a part or voice or instrument or orchestra section lower in pitch than or subordinate to the first
14. noun

    the fielding position of the player on a baseball team who is stationed at first of the bases in the infield (counting counterclockwise from home plate)
    synonyms: first base

    type of:

    position

    (in team sports) the role assigned to an individual player
15. noun

    an honours degree of the highest class
    synonyms: first-class honours degree

    types:

    double first

    a first-class honours degree in two subjects

    type of:

    honours, honours degree

    a university degree with honors
16. noun

    the lowest forward gear ratio in the gear box of a motor vehicle; used to start a car moving
    synonyms: first gear, low, low gear

    type of:

    gear, gear mechanism

    a mechanism for transmitting motion for some specific purpose (as the steering gear of a vehicle)