first
adjective
1. preceding all others in time or space or degree
- the first house on the right
- the first day of spring
- his first political race
Similar word(s): front, early, archetypal, archetypical, prototypal, prototypic, prototypical, basic, introductory, initial, eldest, firstborn, freshman, original, premier, premiere, prime, original, primary
2. indicating the beginning unit in a series
Similar word(s): ordinal
3. serving to set in motion
- his first (or maiden) speech in Congress
Similar word(s): opening, inaugural, initiative, initiatory, maiden
4. serving to begin
- the first verse
Similar word(s): opening, beginning
5. ranking above all others
- was first in her class
Similar word(s): best, foremost
6. highest in pitch or chief among parts or voices or instruments or orchestra sections
- first soprano
- the first violin section
- played first horn
Sentences with first as an adjective:
- The first day of September 2013 was a Sunday.
- Demosthenes was the first orator of Greece.
adverb
1. before anything else
- first we must consider the garter snake
Similar word(s): firstly, foremost
2. the initial time
- when Felix first saw a garter snake
3. before another in time, space, or importance
- I was here first
- let's do this job first
4. prominently forward
Similar word(s): foremost
Sentences with first as an adverb:
- Clean the sink first, before you even think of starting to cook.
noun
1. the first or highest in an ordering or series
- He wanted to be the first
Definition categories: link, rank
2. the first element in a countable series
- the first of the month
Definition categories: quantity, ordinal
3. the time at which something is supposed to begin
Similar word(s): beginning, commencement, kickoff, offset, outset, showtime, start
Definition categories: time, point
4. 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)
Definition categories: act, position
5. an honours degree of the highest class
Definition categories: communication, honours
6. the lowest forward gear ratio in the gear box of a motor vehicle; used to start a car moving
Similar word(s): low
Definition categories: man–made, gear
Sentences with first as a noun:
- He was the first to complete the course.
- This is a first. For once he has nothing to say.
- There was a close play at first.
- one forty-first of the estate