Meaning of first In English

• 0 (a person or thing) coming before all others in order, time, amount, quality, or importance:

  • This is my first visit to New York.

  • I fell in love with him the first time I saw him.

  • I'm always nervous for the first few minutes of an exam.

  • Today is the first (of August).

  • The trousers shrank when I washed them, but they weren't really big enough in the first place.

  • Thankfully, he wasn't hurt, but he never should have been there in the first place.

  • Enquiries about the post should be addressed in the first instance to the personnel manager.

  • It is a diplomatic scandal of the first order.

  • White is a writer of the first order.

  • He said he'd call back first thing tomorrow.

• 1 before all others in order, time, amount, quality, or importance:

  • Tom came first in the race.

  • Who finished first?

  • If you get home first, can you feed the cat?

  • When did you first meet each other?

  • The company was still very small when I first joined.

  • First, I want to thank my parents.

  • First (of all) (= before anything else), I'd like to ask you a few questions.

  • First off (= before anything else), let me introduce myself.

• 2 the first person or thing to do or be something, or the first person or thing mentioned:

  • [ + to infinitive ] She was one of the first to arrive.

  • He is the first (= very willing) to admit that much of his success is due to his good looks.

  • Tonight sees the first of three documentaries about cancer.

  • I've opposed the proposal from the very first.

• 3 something that has never happened or been done before:

  • This new surgical technique is a first for (= has never been done before in) the hospital.

• 4 the best possible undergraduate university degree you can get in the UK and some other countries:

  • She has a first in English from Newcastle University.

• 5 (in a vehicle) the gear used when starting to drive forward or when driving up a steep hill

• 6 →  first base

• 7 (a person or thing) coming before all others in order, time, amount, quality, or importance:

  • Would you like to go first?

  • [ C ] We leave on the first of August.

  • At first (= In the beginning) I thought he was joking, but then I realized he meant it.