in the first place
idiom
1
—used at the end of a sentence to indicate what was true or what should have been done at the beginning of a situation
We should never have gone there in the first place.
I didn't care much for the job in the first place.
2
—used when listing the most important parts of something or the most important reasons for something
I'm not going to tell you because, in the first place, it's none of your business, and in the second place, you would tell everyone else.
Examples of in the first place in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Well, France played host, partly in recognition of its central role in creating the tournament in the first place.
—
Michael Cox, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2025
Keeping up with your shower's health is key to preventing mold from growing in the first place.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 19 Apr. 2025
Perhaps more important, though, is doing your best to prevent those flares in the first place.
—Sierra Leone Starks, Allure, 18 Apr. 2025
This effect, the latter report noted, would be most harmful for lower-income families, who were also hit hardest by COVID in the first place.
—David Zweig, The Atlantic, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for in the first place
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Michael Cox, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2025
Keeping up with your shower's health is key to preventing mold from growing in the first place.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 19 Apr. 2025
Perhaps more important, though, is doing your best to prevent those flares in the first place.
—Sierra Leone Starks, Allure, 18 Apr. 2025
This effect, the latter report noted, would be most harmful for lower-income families, who were also hit hardest by COVID in the first place.
—David Zweig, The Atlantic, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for in the first place
Cite this Entry
“In the first place.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20the%20first%20place. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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