first

adj

1. premiere, initial, initiative, opening; antecedent, anterior, preceding, precedent, in the front; primary, prime, primal; earliest, pristine, primeval, primigenial; elementary, fundamental, rudimentary, rudimental; original, incipient, beginning, germinal, embryonic, embryonal, genetic, genetical, nascent; oldest, eldest, primogenital, primogenitary, senior.

2. principal, capital, chief, cardinal, paramount main, major, meat-and-potatoes, head; first-rate tops, top-drawer, topflight, Inf. topnotch, Inf. tiptop, Inf. crack, Inf. whiz-bang, Brit. Sl. whizzo; first-class, ace, grade A, Brit. Sl. top-hole, Inf. dandy, second to none; supreme, superlative, best, top, highest, crowning, acmic, summital; greatest, maximal, nonpareil, unparalleled, matchless, peerless, utmost, uppermost; supereminent, preeminent, star, sovereign, ruling; prevailing, hegemonic, predominant; ranking, leading, foremost.

adv

3. earliest, before anything else, initially; originally, primarily; firstly, in the first place, right off the bat, to begin with, from the start, at the outset.

4. rather, in preference to [s.t.], more willingly or readily; sooner, before.

n

5. beginning, origin, genesis, alpha, prime, dawn, dawning; incipience, inception, commencement, start, outset, the word "go"; germ, seed, conception, germination, embryo, birth, nativity.

6. first place, victory, win, defeat, triumph, success, blue ribbon.