Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Acronyms, Idioms, Encyclopedia, First valentine’s day together gifts for him. The ordinal number matching the number one in a series.

The one coming, occurring, or ranking before or above all others. Music The voice or instrument highest in pitch or carrying the principal part. The transmission gear or corresponding gear ratio used to produce the range of lowest drive speeds in a motor vehicle. The winning position in a contest: finished the season in first. Corresponding in order to the number one. Coming before all others in order or location: the first house on your left.

Music Being highest in pitch or carrying the principal part: first trumpet. Of, relating to, or being the transmission gear or corresponding gear ratio used to produce the range of lowest drive speeds in a motor vehicle. Of, related to, or being a member of the US president’s household: first daughter Sasha Obama. Why wasn’t I told first off? When I get to work, I have to call my lawyer first thing. Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Brit an honours degree of the highest class. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. The first thing, event, or person of a particular kind is the one that comes before all the others. She lost 16 pounds in the first month of her diet. Yuri Gagarin was the first man in space. If you want to emphasize that a thing, event, or person is the first one of their kind, you can put very in front of first.

The very first thing I do when I get home is have a cup of tea. If an event happens before other events, you say that it happens first. When people get their newspaper, which page do they read first? Don’t use ‘firstly’ with this meaning. You can use first or firstly to introduce the first point in a discussion, the first of a series of questions or instructions, or the first item in a list. First, mix the eggs and flour. There are two reasons why I’m angry.