Isabella Carter
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution was adopted on December 15, 1791, as one of the ten amendments that constitute the Bill of Rights. The First Amendment prevents Congress from making laws that establish a religion or prohibit the free exercise of religion. It also protects the freedom of speech, the freedom of the press, the freedom of assembly, and the right to petition the government for redress of grievances.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition | Coming before all others; earliest, best, or foremost |
| Synonyms | To begin with, firstly, initially, at the beginning |
| Usage | Talking about what happens in the early part of an event or experience, in contrast to what happens later |
| Event | Something that has never happened before and is important or exciting |
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What You'll Learn
First as an adjective
First is an adjective that describes something that comes before all others. For example, 'the first duty of any government is to protect the interests of the taxpayers'. It can also be used to describe something that happens before anything else, like 'I do not remember who spoke first'.
First can be used to emphasise determination not to do something, for example, 'I'll die first before I let you have all my money'. It can also be used to describe an event that has never happened before and is important or exciting, like 'the meeting was a first for the company'.
The word 'first' is related to the Old English 'fyrest', Old Saxon 'furist', Old Norse 'fyrstr', and German 'Fürst', meaning 'prince' or 'one who is first in rank'.
In order to emphasise your determination not to do a particular thing, you can say that rather than do it, you would do something else first. For example, 'I'll die first before I let you go'.
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First as an adverb
'First' is an adverb that describes doing something before anyone else or before doing anything else. For example, 'I do not remember who spoke first'. It can also be used to describe the early part of an event or experience, in contrast to what happens later. For example, 'When he first came home, he wouldn't say anything about what he'd been doing'.
'First' can be used to emphasise determination not to do a particular thing. For example, 'I'll die first, before I let you have all my money'. It can also be used to describe an event that has never happened before and is important or exciting. For example, 'The meeting was a first for the company'.
In terms of word origin, 'first' comes from Old English 'fyrest', and is related to Old Saxon 'furist', Old Norse 'fyrstr', and German 'Fürst' (meaning 'prince', or 'one who is first in rank').
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First as a noun
As a noun, 'first' can refer to the earliest part of an event or experience, in contrast to what happens later. For example, 'when he first came home, he wouldn't say anything about what he'd been doing'. 'First' can also be used to refer to the beginning of a series or sequence, as in 'the first series'.
'First' can also be used to refer to an event that has never happened before, and is therefore important or exciting. For example, 'the meeting was a first for the company'.
In terms of its etymology, 'first' is related to the Old English 'fyrest', as well as the Old Saxon 'furist', Old Norse 'fyrstr', and German 'Fürst' (meaning 'prince' or 'first in rank').
As a noun, 'first' can also be used to refer to the first month of the year, January.
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First as an ordinal number
First is an ordinal number that refers to the earliest or best of something. It is used to describe something that happens before anything else, or before someone does anything else. For example, 'I do not remember who spoke first'. It can also be used to describe something that has never happened before, such as 'The meeting was a first for the company'.
The word 'first' is derived from Old English fyrest, which is related to Old Saxon furist, Old Norse fyrstr, and German Fürst, meaning 'prince' or 'one who is first in rank'.
When used as an adjective, 'first' can be used to describe something that is earliest, best, or foremost. For example, 'The first series began with a certain amount of promise'. It can also be used to emphasise determination not to do something, such as 'I'll die first, before I let you have all my money'.
In some contexts, 'first' can be used to refer to the beginning of an event or experience, in contrast to what happens later. For example, 'When he first came home, he wouldn't say anything about what he'd been doing'.
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First as a superlative
'First' is a superlative that can be used to describe something that comes before all others. For example, January is the first month of the year. It can also be used to describe something that has never happened before, such as a first meeting or a first series.
If you do something first, you do it before anyone else does or before you do anything else. For example, 'first, tell me what you think of my products'. It can also be used to emphasise your determination not to do something, such as 'I'll die first before I let you have all my money'.
'First' can be used to talk about what happens in the early part of an event or experience, in contrast to what happens later. For example, 'when he first came home, he wouldn't say anything about what he'd been doing'.
The word 'first' is related to the Old English 'fyrest', Old Saxon 'furist', Old Norse 'fyrstr', and German 'Fürst', meaning 'prince' or 'one who is first in rank'.
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Frequently asked questions
'First' means coming before all others, or earliest.
An event that is described as a 'first' has never happened before.
You can use 'first' when you are talking about what happens in the early part of an event or experience, in contrast to what happens later. For example: "When he first came home he wouldn't say anything about what he'd been doing".
