firstly

adverb

first·​ly ˈfərst-lē How to pronounce firstly (audio)
: in the first place : first

Examples of firstly in a Sentence

firstly, gather all the ingredients together
Recent Examples on the Web There are of course many differences from last year, firstly Arsenal is not the runaway leader and this time around there are two rivals in the form of Manchester City and Liverpool to contend with. Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024 In Yura’s world, if a lie is proven to be a lie, firstly, no one cares, and secondly, there will be 1,000 more lies ready and waiting to drown out the truth. Catherine Bray, Variety, 17 Feb. 2024 The three-drug combination involves, firstly, an anesthetic or sedative, then a drug to paralyze the prisoner and, lastly, a drug to stop the heart, the DPIC said. Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 24 Jan. 2024 There were two topics that were hotly debated: firstly, who would win? Radhika Seth, Vogue, 12 Jan. 2024 For Reti, 44, the cyclone is a reminder of historic loss: firstly through colonial land confiscations, and later the Public Works Act, which allowed land to be claimed for roads. Rachel Pannett, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2023 Chief Rabbi of Ukraine Moshe Reuven Azman of Ukraine shared photos of his grandchildren sheltering firstly in Kyiv and now in Israel. Yulia Drozd, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2023 The obvious reasons for this are: firstly, body weight is a complicated issue subject to a mix of genetic, environmental, and societal factors. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 24 Sep. 2023 Tsai firstly recommends avoiding blue light from LED screens before bed, as these reduce melatonin secretion. Lauryn Higgins, Health, 10 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'firstly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of firstly was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near firstly

Cite this Entry

“Firstly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/firstly. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

firstly

adverb
first·​ly ˈfərst-lē How to pronounce firstly (audio)
: in the first place

More from Merriam-Webster on firstly

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