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
Their presence puts researchers like me one step closer to unraveling the mystery of how highly energetic particles like astrophysical neutrinos are produced in the first place.
—
Doug Cowen, Discover Magazine, 27 Apr. 2024
But there’s also the agency’s work preventing homelessness from happening in the first place.
—Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2024
Additionally, the series will likely delve even more into the mystery surrounding Reginald Hargreeves' (Colm Feore) backstory and his reason for creating the Umbrella Academy in the first place.
—Esther Kang, Peoplemag, 25 Apr. 2024
Meanwhile, the agency has swapped approaches, hoping to teach farmers more about preventing nitrates from getting into the water in the first place.
—Laura Schulte, Journal Sentinel, 25 Apr. 2024
The new ordinance, modeled after one adopted in Sunnyvale, is meant to prevent the illicit parlors from taking root in the first place.
—Luis Melecio-Zambrano, The Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2024
Dental sealants are routinely used to prevent cavities from forming in the first place.
—Nick Blackmer, Verywell Health, 23 Apr. 2024
How to avoid missing a connecting flight The best way to avoid missing a connecting flight in the first place is to plan a layover with enough time to get through the terminal.
—Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2024
Victoria Atkins, the U.K.’s secretary of state for health and social care, told the House of Commons that the bill was intended to prevent people from ever getting addicted to tobacco products in the first place.
—Anna Gordon, TIME, 16 Apr. 2024
Doug Cowen, Discover Magazine, 27 Apr. 2024
But there’s also the agency’s work preventing homelessness from happening in the first place.
—Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2024
Additionally, the series will likely delve even more into the mystery surrounding Reginald Hargreeves' (Colm Feore) backstory and his reason for creating the Umbrella Academy in the first place.
—Esther Kang, Peoplemag, 25 Apr. 2024
Meanwhile, the agency has swapped approaches, hoping to teach farmers more about preventing nitrates from getting into the water in the first place.
—Laura Schulte, Journal Sentinel, 25 Apr. 2024
The new ordinance, modeled after one adopted in Sunnyvale, is meant to prevent the illicit parlors from taking root in the first place.
—Luis Melecio-Zambrano, The Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2024
Dental sealants are routinely used to prevent cavities from forming in the first place.
—Nick Blackmer, Verywell Health, 23 Apr. 2024
How to avoid missing a connecting flight The best way to avoid missing a connecting flight in the first place is to plan a layover with enough time to get through the terminal.
—Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2024
Victoria Atkins, the U.K.’s secretary of state for health and social care, told the House of Commons that the bill was intended to prevent people from ever getting addicted to tobacco products in the first place.
—Anna Gordon, TIME, 16 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'in the first place.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near 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 3 May. 2024.
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