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
Think of it as a high-tech sprinkler system: excellent at putting out small fires instantly, but not a substitute for eliminating flammable materials in the first place.
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Michael Roytman, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
Layered on top of the decades-long decline in birth rates is another, newer trend, Goodman said: During the pandemic, a large number of families either left traditional public schools or opted not to enroll their kids there in the first place.
—Silas Allen, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Mar. 2025
More many people either severed their cord or never had a cord connection in the first place.
—Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Mar. 2025
It's been throwing electricity in things that didn't come off the line electrified in the first place for years.
—Alex Goy, Ars Technica, 2 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for in the first place
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Michael Roytman, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
Layered on top of the decades-long decline in birth rates is another, newer trend, Goodman said: During the pandemic, a large number of families either left traditional public schools or opted not to enroll their kids there in the first place.
—Silas Allen, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Mar. 2025
More many people either severed their cord or never had a cord connection in the first place.
—Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Mar. 2025
It's been throwing electricity in things that didn't come off the line electrified in the first place for years.
—Alex Goy, Ars Technica, 2 Mar. 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 13 Mar. 2025.
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