first 1 of 2

adjective

ˈfərst How to pronounce first (audio)
Definition of firstnext
1
as in initial
coming before all others in time or order the much-studied first—and last—voyage of the Titanic

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in main
coming before all others in importance there are a number of reasons we can't go, but the first is that we don't have the money

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in foremost
highest in rank or authority auditioned and got first clarinet in the band

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

first

2 of 2

adverb

1
as in instead
as a substitute eat peas? I'd eat cockroaches first

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in rather
by choice or preference we will not give in, but will fight for our freedom first

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of first
Adjective
In his first role following his military service, Song Kang (Sweet Home) stars as Kang Pi-o, the perfectionist grandson of a renowned maestro whose mother pushes him to be the very best. — Kayti Burt, Time, 6 Oct. 2026 Lafayette 148 will open its first Dallas boutique at NorthPark Center Tuesday, establishing a dedicated presence in the 30-year-old brand’s top five markets. — Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2026
Adverb
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, first given in 1901, has been awarded 116 times to 232 winners for innovations in medicine and biological sciences. — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 5 Oct. 2026 Last month, Democracy Docket surpassed 500,000 free email subscribers, the company first told Semafor, including 70,000 subscribers paying $10 a month or $120 per year. — Max Tani, semafor.com, 5 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for first
Recent Examples of Synonyms for first
  1. initial
  2. main
  3. foremost
  4. instead
  5. rather
  6. inaugural
  7. primary
  8. chief
Adjective
  • However, Efthymiou has been unable to get GBP100,000 (about $130,000) to perform the initial mouse-model study.
    — Deepa Fernandes, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026
  • In the initial screening, AccuPoint Solutions uses a variety of primary data points as a minimum baseline, maximum ceiling or within a range to eliminate those firms that do not meet CNBC's requirements.
    — Kelli Grant, CFP®,Riley de León, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of initial
Adjective
  • Homegrown chip design firm SkyeChip also enjoyed a blockbuster IPO on the Bursa Malaysia stock exchange in May, surging 300% on its main market debut.
    — Angelica Ang, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
  • AbdulSalam Mohammed, president of the Abaad Studies & Research Center and an adviser to Yemen’s Information Ministry, told the Washington Examiner that government forces are currently focused on defending against the Houthis along three main axes.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of main
Adjective
  • Considered the foremost institution for Asian art in the United States, this additional space will give the museum more room to display roughly 4,000 historic and contemporary works from its more than 21,000-piece collection of Asian artists.
    — Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Seeing the internet’s foremost disciple of glow meet the internet’s foremost purveyor of good lighting, though, feels quite satisfying—who else needs another excuse to update that Sephora cart?
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of foremost
Adverb
  • Neutron experiments instead found that the manganese spins remain essentially aligned.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Peggy Tanous isn’t there because she was inexplicably invited to RHUGT instead, and Peggy Sulahian isn’t there because Alex Baskin lost her number the second that season ended.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of instead
Adverb
  • But just moments later, as the name of lead star Andrew Scott appeared on stage, the loud snuffles were replaced with whoops and, in rather uncharacteristically British style, a standing ovation for the actor.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026
  • This is the man who made the two-and-a-half-hour, stream-of-consciousness passion project Bardo (2022), after all, which several critics also found rather abrasive and self-indulgent.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of rather
Adjective
  • The Chaidemenos family was among the first to introduce tourism to the sleepy fishing village of Oia with their 1983 opening of the 18-suite Canaves Oia Boutique Hotel, their inaugural property.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • After two decades helping build AirAsia and its parent Capital A, she was appointed in September as the inaugural chair of AI Malaysia, the country’s lead AI agency, charged with coordinating the National AI Action Plan 2026–2030.
    — Ashleigh Nghiem, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of inaugural
Adjective
  • The war crimes that were brought to the fore on the stage by Macklemore’s speech are the ones that should be the primary focus.
    — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Simmons made some phenomenal throws all over the field, including to his primary receiver, Cayden Lee.
    — PJ Green, Kansas City Star, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of primary
Adjective
  • Misheck Mutize, AfCRA’s chief architect, acknowledged that the agency’s main role would be to steer Africa’s $4 trillion savings into African assets rather than changing how foreign investors see the continent.
    — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Andrew Garfield stars as Altman, with Anora‘s Yura Borisov playing Ilya Sutskever, the chief scientific officer and co-founder of OpenAI who fires Altman.
    — Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of chief

Phrases Containing first

Browse Nearby Words

firm (up)
first
first base
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Cite this Entry

“First.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/first. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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