in the first place

phrase

1

—used at the end of a sentence to indicate what was true or what should have been done at the beginning of a situation

We should never have gone there in the first place.

I didn't care much for the job in the first place.

2

—used when listing the most important parts of something or the most important reasons for something

I'm not going to tell you because, in the first place, it's none of your business, and in the second place, you would tell everyone else.

Examples of in the first place in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But what about those shoes that were never released in the first place? — Riley Jones, Footwear News, 10 Oct. 2026

That gives companies a chance to earn a return on their investment — and makes those risky and expensive investments financially viable in the first place. — Dr. Bowman Heiden, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026

The latter was one of the assistant coaches most responsible for leaving said mess that Mora was brought in to clean up in the first place. — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 10 Oct. 2026

For now, however, Costco's early experience suggests AI could become another way to demonstrate why customers pay to shop there in the first place. — Alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026

Rhymes for in the first place

• aromatase
• oligoclase
• plagioclase
• polymerase
• streptokinase
• triphosphatase
• abase
• airspace
• apace
• backspace
• biface
• birthplace