first synonyms

first

modif.

  1. Foremost in order

    beginning, original, earliest, primary, prime, primal, antecedent, anterior, initial, virgin, maiden, opening, introductory, inceptive, incipient, inaugural, premier, primeval, aboriginal, leading, in the beginning, front, head, rudimentary, fundamental.

    Antonyms last*, ultimate*, final. *

  2. Foremost in importance

    chief, greatest, prime, preeminent; see principal.

in the first place

firstly, initially, to begin with; see at first under first.

first

n.

beginning, outset, start, the word ""go''*; see origin 1.

at first

in the beginning, initially, firstly, in the first place, at the outset, at the start, at the beginning, at the commencement, originally, to begin win, first off*, for openers*.

Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.