FluencyCraft

first

"First" is a very common and useful word in English. It works in several different ways — as an adjective, adverb, noun, and even a verb — and you will encounter it constantly in everyday life. Here are its most important senses.

1adjectiveearliest in order or time

When something comes before everything else in a sequence, you call it 'first'. Think of a race — the person who crosses the finish line before anyone else is in first place.

everyday language · Modern, widely used

January is the first month of the year.

She was the first person to arrive at the party.

This is my first time visiting Japan.

2adverbbefore anything else

When you use 'first' as an adverb, you are talking about the order in which things happen. If you do something 'first', it means you do it before doing other things.

everyday language · Modern, widely used

First, wash your hands, then start cooking.

He finished the exam first and left the room.

Think carefully first before you make a decision.

3nounthe one that comes before all others

As a noun, 'first' refers to the person or thing that is number one in a group or sequence. You can also use it to talk about something that has never happened before — a historic moment.

everyday language · Modern, widely used

She was the first to finish the project.

Landing on the moon was a great first for humanity.

He came in first in the swimming competition.

4adverbfor the first time

You can use 'first' to say when something happened for the very first time — meaning it had never occurred before that moment.

everyday language · Modern, widely used

I first visited Paris when I was fifteen.

When did you first learn to ride a bike?

They first met at a conference in 2010.

5adjectivefigurativemost important or most basic

Sometimes 'first' means the most important thing, or the most basic starting point. When someone says 'your first priority', they mean the thing that matters most above everything else.

everyday language · Modern, widely used · figurative

Safety is our first concern on this project.

The first rule of good writing is to be clear.

Her first instinct was to help the injured man.

Content generated by AI — may contain inaccuracies